Abstract
The use of socio-ecological controversies, such as global warming, in classrooms has been suggested to increase students’ awareness about complex issues, although detailed analysis of their implementation in classrooms are still scarce. This research shows a model-based inquiry approach (MBI) instructional sequence, using scientific news as a trigger, aimed at addressing a global problem on a real socio-ecological system: the effect of global warming on the Great Barrier Reef. Its implementation in a lower secondary school classroom allowed the assessment of the effectiveness of the instructional sequence designed, based on students’ perception of what secondary school students have learned and felt. Results show that the MBI instructional sequence seems to have favored the mobilization of students’ alternative conceptions about global warming, coral reefs, and symbiotic relationships. In addition, it contributed to increasing the students’ awareness of the problem of global warming and its effects on an essential socio-ecological system, such as coral reefs.
Highlights
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change recognized, already in 1992, the need to implement specific education and awareness programs to involve the population in the study of the problem and its consequences, as well as in adequate decision making [1]
The results that we show in this article are structured around three objectives: (i) to contribute to raising students’ awareness of the problem of Global warming (GW) and its effects on an essential socio-ecological system, such as coral reefs, and to address some of the students’ conceptions; (ii) to design a complete model-based inquiry approach (MBI) sequence which can be reproduced in other contexts; and (iii) to evaluate the effectiveness of the sequence based on the students’ perception of what they learned and felt
With the evidence gathered in the reading of the news and searching on the Internet, we considered that the students may be able to build the conclusion about the effects of the increase in sea temperature: the algae, which live with the coral, disappear; the coral remain without sufficient nutrients, whitening; and, if the effect persists, coral may end up dying
Summary
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change recognized, already in 1992, the need to implement specific education and awareness programs to involve the population in the study of the problem and its consequences, as well as in adequate decision making [1]. The didactic use of socio-ecological controversies is a current and relevant line of research [20,21,22,23] which focuses the science education on giving answers to real problems and promotes the development of systemic thinking and active participation [24,25] Taking these approaches into account, in this work we want to present the results of the implementation with secondary school students of an MBI instructional sequence, based on a global problem about a real socio-ecological system (SES): the effect of global warming on the Great Barrier Reef [26,27,28]. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development [32] points to the need to conserve and sustainably use the seas and oceans, as well as the resources they provide and urges for them to be addressed from the educational arena
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