Investigating trees as an interdisciplinary phenomenon in climate regulation: an intervention study on iSTEM education and scientific literacy in secondary schools

Abstract

ABSTRACT Climate change and CO2-emissions are key-issues of the 21st century. As a complex interdisciplinary phenomenon, educational systems appear to be forced to expand their curricula beyond disciplines or school subjects. Thus, cross-disciplinary concepts in science, such as iSTEM (integrated science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) address this demand. Also, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) stresses the need for interdisciplinarity in compulsory education. The present intervention study ‘CO2BS - Coole Bäume und Sensoren [Cool(ing) Trees and Sensors]’ focuses on the tree as a key-factor in the understanding of gas-exchange for which a proper scientific understanding demands thinking across disciplines. In accordance with a OECD competence framework, Scientific Literacy, the intervention aimed to foster secondary school students’ interdisciplinary conceptual knowledge (ICK) of how a tree’s exchange of O2 and CO2 can be investigated scientifically. Students’ changes in self-concept in science as well as their interest in climate and science along with epistemic emotions associated with scientific procedures were also investigated. The results showed positive changes in students’ self-concept and epistemic emotions. Though ICK increased significantly too, the results indicate that future interventions will need to focus more on how to establish interdisciplinarity within secondary education more effectively.