Abstract
This article describes results of a professional development (PD) program for inservice science teachers. The PD integrated experiential learning to enhance participants’ literacy regarding energy production and associated environmental costs. The PD focused on six energy sources and environmental politics that must be navigated to make decisions about their sustainability. Participants toured energy extraction/production sites including coal mines, hydroelectric dams, wind farms, and nuclear power plants. At each site, participants encountered differing perspectives on the environmental costs and benefits of the energy sources. Group discussions allowed for sharing participants’ thoughts on each perspective and mathematical modeling was used as a tool for evaluating each energy source. Data included pre- and post-content assessments and PD evaluation surveys. Analysis revealed the role that experiential learning played in changed perspectives on energy production, content knowledge growth, and impacts on the participants’ own classroom teaching.
Highlights
Understanding the environmental and societal impacts of energy production in America is a critical component of environmental literacy
The findings show how the professional development (PD) utilized the initial stages of mathematical modeling as a way of reflecting on the experiences of the PD to aid participants in gaining a fuller understanding of costs and benefits of diverse energy sources
During and over the nine months following the three week PD, participants completed a series of additional surveys to evaluate the experience and describe its impact on them as educators
Summary
Understanding the environmental and societal impacts of energy production in America is a critical component of environmental literacy. Each source of energy presents distinct challenges and benefits to the natural environment and to society. In the highly politicized climate in America regarding energy needs, it may be difficult to make sense of the contradictory claims made about diverse energy sources. Saylan and Blumstein (2011) indicate that educational institutions are partly to blame for failing to challenge students to critically analyze complex issues. Students are accustomed to accepting “quickly expressed and digested” explanations that do not require deep contemplation
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