The Effect of Using Socio-Scientific Issues Approach in Teaching Environmental Issues on Improving the Students’ Ability of Making Appropriate Decisions Towards These Issues

Abdallah Salim Zo`Bi

doi:10.5539/ies.v7n8p113

Abstract

This study aimed to identify nature of students’ decisions patterns towards environmental issues and the possibility to improve these decisions during teaching process using Socio-Scientific Issues Approach. And to achieve this, the researcher prepared and developed tools of the study represented by a test of open questions focused on socio-scientific issues in environmental subjects and a school unit about environmental issues according to Socio-Scientific Issues Approach. Validity and reliability of the study were asserted using the appropriate ways. The population of the study, which consisted of the students of Educational Sciences department in Educational Sciences Faculty in World Islamic Sciences and Education University in Jordan in the first semester in 2012/2013, was 576 male and female students. The sample of the study, which consisted of (40) male and female student, was selected purposefully. Results of the study showed using Socio-Scientific Issues approach enhanced students’ ability in improving their decisions towards environmental issues and the results showed existence of four patterns of students’ decisions: decisions based on wrong understanding of scientific concepts and their applications, logical linear (formal) decisions taking into account few limited dimensions, decisions on a limited level of controversy. Issuing decisions include scientific thinking takes into account the integrated comprehensive dimension. In light of these results, the researcher recommended paying attention to Socio-Scientific Issues Approach (SSI) as an axis to teach the scientific concepts and issues at the university level and to train the teachers on using it.

Highlights

This era is distinguished by the rapid and amazing developments in the scientific knowledge and its technological applications which have a relation with ethic dimension at the moment of making decisions
This study aimed to identify nature of students’ decisions patterns towards environmental issues and the possibility to improve these decisions during teaching process using Socio-Scientific Issues Approach
The researcher prepared and developed tools of the study represented by a test of open questions focused on socio-scientific issues in environmental subjects and a school unit about environmental issues according to Socio-Scientific Issues Approach

Summary

Introduction

This era is distinguished by the rapid and amazing developments in the scientific knowledge and its technological applications which have a relation with ethic dimension at the moment of making decisions. To cope with this change , it is a necessary to pay attention to the students’ quality who are prepared to be educated scientifically in the modern life and have the awareness of technology developments that related to the ethical dimension. If everything is done, we can say that this preparation creates citizens who are developed scientifically and technologically, active and interactive with the society and its problems and they are more understanding to the relation of affecting and effecting between the science, technology and the society and every citizen can use this knowledge in reporting and issuing the decisions in his daily life.

Objectives

Methods

Results