Socioscientific Issues Research Articles

Enhancing powerful knowledge in undergraduate science curriculum for social good

ABSTRACT Social realist theorising about curriculum and social justice in higher education has emphasised the importance of providing equity of epistemic access to powerful knowledge. However, there has been little discussion about what constitutes powerful knowledge and how students can use it for social good. In the science disciplines, the traditional undergraduate curriculum is shaped by economic agendas and by perceptions of its purpose to train future scientists. This has resulted in a curriculum focused on the learning of scientific facts rather than on how scientific knowledge is created, validated and critiqued, overshadowing the potential for the curriculum to simultaneously empower learners to develop critical scientific literacy to productively engage with urgent socio-scientific issues such as climate change. In this paper, I argue that social good can be better served by engaging students with powerful knowledge of the epistemology of science through including ‘Nature of Science’ (NOS) in the curriculum.

Informal Reasoning Profile of State Senior High School Students in Brebes Regency

This study aims to look at the Informal Reasoning profiles of public high school students in the Brebes Regency. Informal Reasoning is a type of thinking used by students in considering socio-scientific issues, which involves considering causation, pros and cons, and alternatives. The research was conducted at 11 public high schools in Brebes Regency using the Proportionate Stratified Random Sampling method. The research data was obtained through tests in the form of multiple-choice questions and essays that tested students' mastery of Informal Reasoning regarding issues such as HIV-AIDS, GMOs, and cloning. The results showed that 79.64% of students had good Informal Reasoning skills, 18.26% of students had very good abilities, and 2.10% of students had moderate abilities. These results indicate that most high school students in Brebes District have good Informal Reasoning skills in addressing socio-scientific issues. Comparing some of the results of students' Informal Reasoning between schools forms a pattern of possible causal factors, such as teachers' habits in teaching and giving questions, environment, region (rural and urban areas), as well as the availability of facilities and infrastructure.

ANALISIS ISU SOSIO-SAINTIFIK PADA BUKU TEKS BIOLOGI SMA KELAS XII MATERI BIOTEKNOLOGI

Socioscientific issues are controversial issues about social problems that have relevance to science. This study aims to determine whether socio-scientific issues in biotechnology lessons Class XII Biology Textbooks used at MAN 2 Medan have met the socio-scientific quality criteria for science learning. There are five quality criteria for socio-scientific issues are authentic, relevant, evaluation, open discussion, and related to science and technology. This research is a type of descriptive research that uses a qualitative approach. Data collection techniques in this study are observation methods and providing socio-scientific issue analysis sheets. The results of this study show that there are three socio-scientific issues in biotechnology lessons in biology textbooks. The three socio-scientific issues are about cell transplantation from pigs to humans, the problem of human clones, and the problem of transgenic plants. Based on the results of data analysis of the three socio-scientific issues, it shows that the quality of Socio Scientific Issues (SSI) for science learning is obtained at a percentage of 80% or good category, so that these socio-scientific issues are feasible to be applied in biology learning. Kata kunci: Analisis, Buku Teks Biologi, Kualitas Isu Sosio-Saintifik

Pre-Service Science Teachers’ Understanding of Socio-Scientific Issues Instruction through a Co-Design and Co-Teaching Approach Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic

This qualitative case study explores the development of pre-service science teachers’ (PSTs) understanding of Socio-Scientific Issues (SSI) instruction. The study utilized a conceptual framework of SSI-based instruction and a three-phase approach involving co-designing solutions, co-designing curriculum materials, and co-teaching classes. Primary data sources included PSTs’ interviews and reflective journals, while artifacts, field notes, and curriculum materials served as secondary data sources. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data of six PSTs in a teacher preparation program. We found that the PSTs’ understanding of SSI instruction was enhanced in 12 features of three core aspects: design elements, learner experiences, and teacher attributes. “Engaging in higher-order practices” was the most prominent feature, observed across all three phases. The three-phase approach played a crucial role in promoting PSTs’ understanding of SSI instruction, with each phase guiding their understanding in distinct ways. Particularly, the co-designing solutions phase facilitated the development of PSTs’ “awareness of the social considerations associated with the issue”. While the co-designing curriculum materials phase was effective in promoting their understanding of “scaffolding for practice: providing scaffolding for higher-order practices. “The co-teaching classes phase played a crucial role in facilitating their understanding of “willingness to position oneself as a knowledge contributor rather than the sole authority”.

Natural History Mystery: Immersing Families in a Problem-Solving Game Using Natural History Exhibits

There is a need for a better public understanding of evolutionary relatedness including its relevance to socio-scientific issues such as conservation and health. As venues that play an important role in communicating about evolution, natural history museums have an opportunity to explore novel means of enhancing visitor learning in this area. We describe the design, testing, modification, and evaluation of an immersive, problem-solving educational game on the topic of evolution using specimens on display in a natural history museum. Natural History Mystery invites small teams of players to solve a series of puzzles to identify the source of a zoonotic disease. In the process, they use existing exhibits and supporting game components to learn about shared characters, common ancestry, and relatedness. The game was iteratively designed through multiple rounds of trial testing with families and other groups. A summative assessment performed by an external evaluator concluded that, through the game, players had fun, explored the museum in new ways, and felt they learned and developed new skills. The evaluation found that participants learned about evolutionary relationships and made connections between evolution and medical applications. We share details about game/puzzle design and development along with lessons learned, providing a model for other institutions to create their own themed puzzle-hunt game customized to their site.

Energy Policy as a Socio-Scientific Issue: Argumentation in the Context of Economic, Environmental and Citizenship Education

One goal of environmental civic education is preparing students, both as citizens and as professionals, to use effective arguments in public debates. Such debates include dominantly economic claims, which are multifaceted and rarely taught in schools. A learning unit that applied the pedagogical principles of socio-scientific issues was developed for ‘Israel’s Natural Gas Export Policy’, a real sustainability dilemma. The study aimed to understand how pre- and in-service science teachers craft their arguments, by comparing their written reasoned opinions on the gas export debate, before and after the learning unit. Content analysis was conducted using Grounded Theory on the two groups’ texts in a multiple case study design. Five reasoning rationales were found: ‘Profits and Risks’, ‘Ethics or Ideology’, ‘Pragmatic Objectives’, ‘Evidence Base’ and ‘Stakeholder Motivations’. Each rationale yielded different reasoning strategies, including ‘Costs/Benefits’, ‘the Trade-Off Dilemma’ or ‘Compromise’, ‘Compensatory Benefits’ and ‘Non-Compensatory Costs/Risks’. The findings show that both groups used more argument types in the post-task. The development of ‘Profits and Risks’ strategies, between the pre- and post-texts, shows how the teachers’ arguments became more complex and decisive. These results exemplify how the SSI-focused learning unit enables learners to enhance their critical citizenship thinking, one of the cornerstones of democracy.

Socioscientific Issues and COVID-19: Responding to Curriculum Reform through Action Research

This collaborative action research project documents the exploration and student learning outcomes of COVID-19 socioscientific issue-based lessons. Analysis of student interviews, surveys, and work, combined with classroom observations, revealed that COVID-19 socioscientific issue-based lessons improved students’ conceptual understanding of the science behind pandemic control measures, increased their feelings of personal responsibility in responding to COVID-19, and broadened their perspectives on the impacts of COVID-19 on diverse populations. The framework used to design the lesson series—Three Visions of Scientific Literacy—facilitated the authors' response to curriculum reform. Future use of the framework and implications for socioscientific issue-based teaching are discussed.

Fen bilimleri öğretmenlerinin enerji içerikli yerel sosyobilimsel konular hakkında informal muhakemeleri ve informal muhakemelerini etkileyen etmenler

This study examines the informal reasoning of science teachers about energy-related local socioscientific issues and the factors influencing their informal reasoning. Since socioscientific issues are open-ended and do not have a clear solution, socioscientific reasoning is considered important in discussions on these issues. Thirty-eight science teachers from the Central Anatolian Region of Türkiye took part in this qualitative descriptive study. Three scenarios were used in relation to energy-related local socioscientific issues (nuclear power plants, thermal insulation, and solar energy) for teachers’ reasoning. The teachers engaged in a reasoning process that focused on proposing solutions to local controversial dilemmas. Researchers asked teachers whether they agreed with these scenarios and to explain their reasons. Data were analysed using content analysis. Teachers' informal reasoning patterns were classified into three: rationalistic, emotive and intuitive reasoning. Also, factors influencing their reasoning were grouped according to SEE-STEP. The results of the study indicated that the science teachers mostly used rationalistic reasoning about the local socioscientific issues and environmental and economic factors affected their reasoning. Finally, the implications for reasoning on local socioscientific issues are discussed.

Development of Science E-Modules Based on Socio-scientific Issues Integrated with The Quran Verses to Establish Pancasila Student Profiles

Development of Science E-Modules Based on Socio-scientific Issues Integrated with The Quran Verses to Establish Pancasila Student Profiles

Development of Environmental Pollution E-Module Containing Socio Scientific Issue to Train Students' Scientific Literacy

This study aims to analyze the characteristics, validity, readability of the E-module and the profile of students' scientific literacy after using the E-module. The design of this research is Research and Development (R&D), using the Sugiyono development model which consists of ten steps, potential and problems, data collection, product design, design validation, design revisions, product trials, product revisions, usage trials, product revisions, and mass production. The research subjects were VII grade students of SMP N 10 Magelang. The average score by the media validator is 96.25% very valid criteria and the material validator is 94.16% very valid criteria. The average score of the small-scale readability test is 91.60% and the average on the large-scale is 92.50% very good category. Based on the results of student scientific literacy profil 6.25% students are in the low scientific literacy, 13% students are in the medium category, 56.25% students are in the high category and 25% students are in the very high category . Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the environmental pollution E-module containing the Socio Scientific Issue is valid for use in science learning and can train students' scientific literacy skill.
 

Application of the Socio-Scientific Issues (SSI) learning approach to the Solar System learning to improve written argumentation skills

The purpose of this study was to find out that the application of the Socio-Scientific Issues (SSI) learning approach to the Solar System learning in junior high schools could affect the improvement of students’ written argumentation skills. To find out differences in junior high school students’ written argumentation abilities, the results of the treatment between learning using the Socio-Scientific Issues (SSI) approach and the conventional approach in learning the Solar System were compared. This research is a quantitative research with the type of quasi experimental research. This research was conducted in one of the junior high schools with the research sample chosen non-randomly. The instrument used is in the form of argumentative ability test questions which consist of six essay questions with argumentation indicators namely Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning. Based on the results of the analysis, it shows that the application of the Socio-Scientific Issues (SSI) learning approach to the Solar System learning in junior high schools can affect the improvement of students’ written argumentation skills. In addition, there were also differences in the ability to write arguments after being given treatment between students who applied the SSI and students who applied the conventional approach. Thus, the application of the SSI approach is quite effective in training junior high school students’ written argumentation skills.

Application of the Socio-Scientific Issues (SSI) learning approach to the Solar System learning to improve written argumentation skills

The purpose of this study was to find out that the application of the Socio-Scientific Issues (SSI) learning approach to the Solar System learning in junior high schools could affect the improvement of students’ written argumentation skills. To find out differences in junior high school students’ written argumentation abilities, the results of the treatment between learning using the Socio-Scientific Issues (SSI) approach and the conventional approach in learning the Solar System were compared. This research is a quantitative research with the type of quasi experimental research. This research was conducted in one of the junior high schools with the research sample chosen non-randomly. The instrument used is in the form of argumentative ability test questions which consist of six essay questions with argumentation indicators namely Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning. Based on the results of the analysis, it shows that the application of the Socio-Scientific Issues (SSI) learning approach to the Solar System learning in junior high schools can affect the improvement of students’ written argumentation skills. In addition, there were also differences in the ability to write arguments after being given treatment between students who applied the SSI and students who applied the conventional approach. Thus, the application of the SSI approach is quite effective in training junior high school students’ written argumentation skills.

Participatory Inquiries That Promote Consideration of Socio-Scientific Issues Related to Sustainability within Three Different Contexts: Agriculture, Botany and Palaeontology

The involvement of students in dramatised inquiries, through participatory activity, offers opportunities to act in-role as scientists. The inquiries can ‘set-the-scene’, provide context and challenges for students to consider possibilities within and beyond everyday life. This approach can engage students in thinking about sustainability and developing citizenship competencies, such as thinking scientifically and critiquing ideas, interrogating evidence and assessing the validity of information, as well as decision making and problem solving. In this paper, adopting stories from the history of science is shown to provide rich, authentic contexts that engage students imaginatively and collaboratively in addressing past, present and future socio-scientific issues. To demonstrate how the approach can be adapted we drew on the work of three scientists: an agriculturalist; a botanist and a palaeontologist. Their scientific work informed the learning activities of several primary science lessons (with students aged 9–10). The agricultural activities were informed by the work of George Washington Carver and were related to improving soil quality through crop rotation as well as thinking about the diversity of food and other products that can be produced from plants. The botanically informed activities promoted understanding about processes linked to maintaining species diversity. These drew on the work of Marianne North, a Victorian botanical artist, noted for her detailed plant observations. The final socio-scientific context was related to the work of Mary Anning, a pioneering 19th century palaeontologist, who made significant fossil discoveries that contributed to the understanding of geology and evolution. Interactive and participatory activities, informed by the lives and work of these scientists, were designed to engage students in socio-scientific inquiry-based learning through a drama-based pedagogy. These dramatised inquiries promoted the development of scientific citizenship competencies. Scrutiny of data collected through multiple methods suggested that, by extending opportunities for learners to participate in these dramatised lessons, understanding sustainability became more salient for the students. Outcomes suggest several distinctive affordances offered by dramatisation when supporting understanding about sustainability and the development of scientific citizenship.

Differences of Natural Science and Social Science Pre-service Student’s Perceptions for Biotechnology

The study aims to investigate the importance of infusing SSI (Socioscientific Issue) into STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)-based Biotechnology learning by capturing the perceptions of students in Natural Science and Social Science. This is intended to make learning more effective because it helps students to achieve the comprehension of the material being taught. The research apply mix methods by capturing quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data are collected from the percentage of answers from 291 students who have filled out quizzes through online surveys. While qualitative data is collected from garnering students’ answers through unstructured interviews. The results showed that students of Natural Science discussed biotechnology more technically and normatively resulting in product effects, while students of Social Science focused more on the policy and risk aspects of biotech products. It is the difference in perception between the two majors that requires the SSI approach to be infused into the STEM approach. The benefits of such infusionare improved students' HOTS (Higher Order Thinking Skills), which is in line with the current learning trend of the Industrial Revolution 4.0.
 
 Keywords: SSI, Biotechnology, STEM education, HOTS

Political Discourses as A Resource for Climate Change Education: Promoting Critical Thinking by Closing the Gap between Science Education and Political Education

This paper discusses political discourses as a resource for climate change education and the extent to which they can be used to promote critical thinking. To illustrate this, we present here an activity developed in the online course, Freirean Communicative Educational Situations for Climate Change Education, designed and developed as part of postdoctoral research at the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Brazil. The activity aimed to analyze the speeches of the Presidents of Colombia and Chile at the United Nations Climate Action Summit (2019) in a way which approached climate change as a socio-scientific issue. We argue that climate change education should not only involve learning about risk, adaptation, resilience, and basic scientific concepts, but also critical reflection on public policy and discourses and transformative content. This includes consideration of non-formal and informal communications and analysis of how power relations can restrict, motivate, or boost the impetus towards climate change education. These kinds of classroom activities enable teachers to work with a combination of core critical thinking skills, attitudes, and abilities, as well as discussing the details of science and scientific knowledge. This in turn enables the gap between the scientific and political aspects of climate change education to be bridged.

Using the instant semantic analysis and feedback system for mining effective behavioural patterns to facilitate learning effectiveness of online discussion

ABSTRACT This study utilised the instant semantic analysis and feedback system (ISAFS) to assist learners in the online discussion learning activities of socio-scientific issues (SSIs) and to document their learning process behaviours for behavioural analyses. The aim was to understand the learners’ discussion behaviours during the ISAFS assisted learning process and to guide them in exhibiting more effective discussion behaviours in order to facilitate the learning effectiveness of online asynchronous discussions. The research participants were 55 eleventh-grade students from a senior high school in northeastern Taiwan. A single pre-experimental group design was adopted to collect the learning process data. Eventually, 34 effective samples were considered following the online discussions. The results showed that learners with distinct computer-mediated communication competences and personality traits have different behaviour patterns. Overall, the behavioural analyses reveal that different learning behaviours would result in distinct learning effectiveness, and that learners with different computer-mediated communication competences and personality traits would present various learning behaviours. Based on the research results, suggestions for the application of ISAFS in teaching and implications for future developments are proposed. The findings could be instrumental in the improvement of the teaching process through online discussions.

Development of Teaching Material Supplements Based on Socio Scientific Issues to Improve Students' Scientific Argumentation Ability

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has touched every aspect of people's lives, including health and education. Because there is a lot of ignorance about prevention of Covid-19, it is necessary to have learning media that is easily accepted. E-Books are one of the solutions to provide education about the SARS CoV-2 virus which is given to students as a supplement to teaching materials on viruses. The purpose of this study was to test the validity of teaching steel supplements as learning media on viruses and students' scientific argumentation skills. This research uses the Thiagarajan 4-D model development method (Define, Design, Develop, Disseminate). The data analysis technique used is descriptive data analysis including the validity of responses from users and the effectiveness of the products tested on class X MIPA 1 student of SMAN 1 Bandar Lampung. The results showed that the developed e-book had valid criteria by material experts with a score of 75.00% and very valid by media experts with a score of 95.83%. Students and teachers responded to the e-book used in learning, respectively 92.17% and 94.38% with very valid criteria. Analysis of students' scientific argumentation abilities showed moderate criteria with an average N-gain value of 0.52. Thus, the teaching material supplement in the form of an e-book that is being developed can be used as a biology learning medium to improve students' scientific argumentation skills.

Utilizing social media in socioscientific issues discussion to improve argumentative skills and microbial literacy

Microbial literacy plays an essential role in understanding microbiology issues. Discussion of socioscientific issues is one way to improve microbial literacy and argumentative skills. Socioscientific issues discussion takes a long time if applied in an inadequate classroom. Thus, social media is used as a tool to discuss socioscientific issues. This study aims to utilize social media Facebook' in discussing socioscientific issues. The research method used is quasi-experimental. The pre-post one group design was used to know the effect of socioscientific discussion on argumentation skills, and the pre and post-control group design was used to know the differences in microbiological literacy of students who discuss socioscientific issues and did not discuss socioscientific issues. Discussion of socioscientific issues is carried out through four steps: polemic, exploration, conclusion, and action. The results showed increased individual argumentation skills before and after discussing socioscientific issues via Facebook. Before the discussion there are 34.38% of students reached argumentation levels 4 to 5, after which 56.25% reached argumentation levels 4-5. Discussion of socioscientific issues through social media has made group argumentation skills reach higher performance (level 5). Microbiological literacy between groups discussing socioscientific issues and not discussing socioscientific issues showed no significant difference except for questions directly related to the topic of discussion, namely changes in perceptions of microbes. Online discussions of socioscientific issues with pro and con arguments were very effective through social media “Facebook.”

Socioscientific issues in science exhibitions: examining contributions of the informal science education sector

This paper examines how a particular subset of informal science education settings — science exhibitions — embraces contemporary socioscientific issues (SSI) and fosters public engagement with them. A qualitative cross-case analysis of two SSI exhibitions about teen pregnancy (Brazil) and sustainability (Canada) was conducted. It revealed complex issues around operational funding, and institutional tensions related to the nature, balance, and relevance of the topics displayed. The analysis unravelled opportunities for SSI exhibits to engage with contextualized and situated knowledge; articulate the deficit model with other models of science communication; and consider visitors as agents of change.

Teacher Perceptions of the Use of Socioscientific Issues in Science Learning in Middle Schools of Tanjung Sakti District PUMI and Tanjung Sakti District PUMU

Currently, there are already many countries that have revised their science curricula to be sure effective science learning environments. Blessing in this revision, socioscientific issues are integrated into the curriculum. Their presence has brought about the need to know what socioscientific environmental problems exist. The research conducted aims to describe the perceptions of junior high school science teachers regarding the use of socioscientific issues in science learning at SMP Tanjung Sakti PUMI and Tanjung Sakti PUMU districts. In this descriptive quantitative study, data were collected using 15 items of statements with a questionnaire in the form of a Likert scale. The research subjects were seventeen science teachers from Tanjung Sakti Public Middle School 1 PUMI, Tanjung Sakti Public Middle School 2 PUMI, Tanjung Sakti Public Middle School 3 PUMI, Tanjung Sakti Public Middle School 4 PUMI, Tanjung Sakti Public Middle School 1 PUMU, Tanjung Sakti Middle School 2 PUMU, Middle School Mumammadiyah Batu Rancing, SMP PUMI Xaverius Tanjung Sakti. The study results show that science teachers have very positive perceptions or agree to use socioscientific issues in science learning. This study shows that science teachers' perceptions about socioscientific issues are well received, and the use of socioscientific issues is very impressive in the science learning process.