Socioscientific Issues Research Articles

Development of Critical and Creative Thinking Skills Instruments Based on Environmental Socio-Scientific Issues

Development of Critical and Creative Thinking Skills Instruments Based on Environmental Socio-Scientific Issues

Science teachers and students’ perspectives on SSI-based instruction: basis on the development of SSI-based curricular resources

Despite the most studies empirically reveal the advantages of teaching Socioscientific Issues (SSIs) in catering the evolution of scientific knowledge and pedagogy in teaching science concepts better to meet the required competencies and students’ needs to develop appropriate skills and capabilities, the teaching of SSI-based is still obscure and new to the country due to science teachers find it difficult and unable to integrate in their classroom due to lack of curricular resources, unfamiliarity, infrequent integration, and teaching trust issues which results to learning gap among students; inability to argument and less motivated to learning SSIs. A semi-detailed questionnaire was used to collect information such as teacher-student background knowledge on SSIs and SSI-based pedagogy,perception on the pedagogy and the need to develop SSI-based curricular resources. Interviews were done to selected teachers and students to highlight relevant and significant opinions. Furthermore, results revealed that science teachers and students are not acquainted with SSIs. Most teachers don’t know SSIs and don’t employ SSI-based lessons in their teaching resulting to zero experience among students to SSIs. Nevertheless, both teachers and student respondents asserted that the development of SSI-based curricular resources may improve teaching and learning processes in science areas which may positively affect to students deeper understanding, science practices and argumentation.

Pre-service Biology Teachers' Moral Reasoning about Socioscientific Issues and Factors Affecting Their Moral Reasoning

Pre-service Biology Teachers' Moral Reasoning about Socioscientific Issues and Factors Affecting Their Moral Reasoning

Improving Undergraduate Students’ Argumentation Skills Through Problem-Based E-Module with Socio-Scientific Issues Topics

E-module is considered as an effective learning media to create an interactive learning environment. In spite of that it is rare to find the research that examines the development of e-module based on Problem-Based Learning model that integrates Socio-Scientific Issues on argumentation skills to students. This research aims to develop students’ argumentation skills through problem-based e-module with socio-scientific issues topics. The researcher used pre-experimental method with one-group-pretest-posttest design. The e-module was implemented to 36 students of Biology Education, State University of Malang, for the 2nd-year from November to December 2022. The research sample was selected by non-random sampling. The research samples were selected by non-random sampling. The research data were collected by opened-ended questions to assess the students’ argumentation skills and categorized based on the argumentation skills rubric. The data were analyzed based on the increase of pre-test and post-test scores by using Normalized Gain (N-Gain). The result of the N-Gain calculation showed a score of 0.46 which means the students’ argumentation skills developed in the moderate category after the implementation of using problem-based e-module with socio-scientific issues topics. The problem-based e-module with socio-scientific issues topics can train students to identify the problems, analyze data and evidence to give problem-solving solutions packaged of complex argumentation.

Increasing Literacy Ability in Chemistry on A Socio-Scientific Basis

Chemistry is one of the lessons needed as a form of learning for students in this century. Chemical Literacy plays an important role in building efforts so that students can gain knowledge about developments in the field of chemistry and so that they have the opportunity to live in modern society in this millennial century. This study aims to describe the opportunities for assessing chemical literacy and also to design education and information in the field of chemistry that is oriented toward increasing the chemical literacy side of students. The method used in this study is a qualitative approach by prioritizing the study of literature. The results of this study and research show that this method of assessing chemical literacy can use the framework of Schwartz's chemical literacy and also PISA. In learning chemistry, several aspects of chemical literacy can be optimized with learning based on socio-scientific issues where this knowledge base will have several chemistry topics that have relevance in life, especially the lives of students. And this includes the declarative, epistemic and also procedural sides. Learning with the chemical literacy system can function as a contemporary and relevant contextual determinant as well as an affective value determination. Likewise with the learning system for students who can optimize the literacy side with a socio-scientific basis in chemistry.

IS DIGITAL STORYTELLING FUNCTIONAL IN SOCIOSCIENTIFIC ISSUES? PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS' EXPERIENCES

This study sought answers to the following question: “Is digital storytelling functional in teaching socioscientific issues?” In the framework of the study, digital stories were prepared individually by nine pre-service teachers on nine different socioscientific topics to find the answer to this question. The data of the present study, which was conducted with action research, were collected by using two different methods: pre and post-interviews and digital stories. Content analysis was used to analyze the interviews and the digital stories were analyzed by using the "digital story evaluation rubric". According to the results obtained during pre-interviews, the participants did not have digital storytelling experience before and did not have much knowledge about digital storytelling. After the implementation, the participants had predominantly positive views towards digital storytelling and that the digital storytelling could be a functional method in teaching socioscientific issues. When the participant products (digital stories) were evaluated in line with the criteria in the literature, it was concluded that the digital stories were prepared at a very satisfactory level, but the content part in the digital stories prepared by the participants lacked discussion questions about the selected socioscientific issues and the issues could not be addressed in an impartial way.

Effectiveness of education for sustainability: the importance of an action-oriented approach

Science education is increasingly integrating a focus on socio-scientific issues. Policy makers and scholars also suggest education for sustainable development (ESD) is important for tackling current and future sustainability issues. ESD may foster students’ action competence in sustainable development (ACiSD; knowledgeability, willingness, capacity expectations and outcome expectancy) regarding contributing to sustainability action. However, reports on effectiveness research relating to ACiSD as a learning outcome of action-oriented ESD are scarce. The current study explores (1) how early adolescents perceive their teachers’ ESD implementation and (2) whether perceived ESD (holism, pluralism, and action-orientedness) affects students’ self-reported ACiSD. We administered two questionnaires to 12-16 year-old secondary school students, tapping into (1) their self-reported ACiSD and (2) their perceptions of teachers’ ESD implementation efforts. Students’ ESD perceptions were measured through descriptive statistics. Next, multilevel linear models were estimated to explore whether ESD and its components affect students’ ACiSD. Our results suggest students did not distinctly perceive ESD implementation (esp. a participative approach). Holism and action-orientedness were neither perceived to be completely present nor completely missing. However, action-orientedness significantly affected students’ reported ACiSD. While confirming the challenge an ESD implementation poses, our results may support efforts made. Implications for education and teacher development are discussed.

Analysis of Secondary School Science Textbook Activities in Terms of Socioscientific Issues: A Document Analysis

Analysis of Secondary School Science Textbook Activities in Terms of Socioscientific Issues: A Document Analysis

The Use of Cooperative Learning to Develop Reasoning Skills on Socioscientific Issues

This paper presents a cooperative learning activity on a nuclear power plant to develop students’ reasoning skills on socioscientific issues. To this end, the steps in the implementation of the activity have been given in detail. The activity was implemented in an undergraduate course with senior preservice science teachers, whose reflections were obtained immediately after the implementation. The preservice science teachers’ reflections showed that the activity was useful in terms of understanding the controversy associated with nuclear power plants and contributing to students’ discussion skills and decision-making abilities on socioscientific issues.

The Fifth Dimension in Socio-Scientific Reasoning: Promoting Decision-Making about Socio-Scientific Issues in a Community

Making informed decisions about socio-scientific issues requires socio-scientific reasoning, which is highly challenging for students. This construct has four dimensions, including recognizing complexity, analyzing multiple perspectives, appreciating the need for ongoing inquiry, and employing skepticism. To support its development, we integrated established principles for designing socio-scientific issues learning environments with the Knowledge Community of Inquiry model. A design-based research study was conducted with two iterations, involving 85 eighth graders, to examine the effectiveness of the integrative approach in supporting students’ socio-scientific reasoning and decision-making. The web-based unit “Asthma in the Community” was adapted and enacted with the students. In the first iteration, the socio-scientific approach was applied, and in the second iteration, the unit was redesigned with features from the Knowledge Community of Inquiry approach. Results showed that all students who participated in the second iteration developed socio-scientific reasoning, made better evidence-based decisions than those in the first iteration, and expressed an understanding of decision-making processes in a community, which is suggested as new, fifth dimension of socio-scientific reasoning. This fifth dimension is suggested as essential for coping with decision-making in socio-scientific issues in the networked society, and the study suggests how to design learning environments that can support its development.

Physics Argumentation-Based Computer-Supported Collaborative Hybrid Learning to Increase Concept Mastery and Argumentation Skills

This study aims to increase the level of concept mastery and argumentation of senior high school students in Singkawang City, West Kalimantan Province, Indonesia. The Physics Argumentation-Based Computer-Supported Collaborative Hybrid Learning (PABCSCHL) model in Socio-Scientific Issues (SSI) especially on the topic of the forest fire on the peatlands has been developed with good validation categories by three pedagogical validators and three assessment validators and been implemented to 200 students. Their argumentation skill levels are measured based on Toulmin Argumentation Pattern. The syntax of the PABCSCHL model is Reading (online), Concept Building, Discussing and Debating (offline), Experiment Designing (online), and Experiment Doing (offline). The core of this model is student collaboration in arguing, debating, and experimenting. From this research, most student solution to anticipate the fire forest on peatlands is burning and waiting until the fire is extinguished perfectly (70 students), monitoring periodically that the fire is completely extinguished (60 students), and limiting the burned area by digging trenches around the site (50 students). Student solutions describe students’ understanding of solving problems posed in group discussion sessions and debates and prove their arguments with experimental data. Before implementing the model, no student has the highest level of argumentation and concept mastery. After that, 23 students have the highest level of concept mastery, and 25 students have the highest level of argumentation. The PABCSCHL model can increase the level of concept mastery and argumentation skills. This model is a new alternative hybrid learning in the post COVID-19 pandemic. Many more SSI can be learning topics to be implemented in this model.

Examination of training on pre-service science teachers’ views on socio-scientific issues and nature of science

Science continuously interacts with the social environment. Science develops with social needs, and society develops and changes with scientific advances. These changes and developments may cause dilemmas in society. Thus, the purpose of this study is to investigate the improvements among pre-service science teachers in terms of socio-scientific issues and nature of science after explicit theoretical and practical training. The participants in this case study were 16 voluntary pre-service science teachers. In-depth views of the pre-service science teachers on nature of science and socio-scientific issues were examined with open-ended questions and reflective diaries. After the training, the understanding of the pre-service science teachers for nature of science and socio-scientific issues was improved, and they learned various approaches for teaching nature of science and socio-scientific issues.

Interactive Modules Containing Problem Based Learning with Socioscientific Issues on The Water Cycle Material

The learning innovation developed is combining learning modules with the use of mobile phones so that learning is interactive and meaningful. The preparation of the module uses the PBL stages with the content of socioscientific issues according to what happens in everyday life so that it is expected to train one of the 21st century skills is critical thinking skills and support digitization of education. This study aims to develop an interactive module containing problem based learning with socioscientific issues on the water cycle material and to determine the content and construct validity of the developed learning modules. The method used in development research was adapted from the RnD method with the ADDIE model (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation). The data collection technique was in the form of a validation questionnaire for material experts, linguists, and media experts. From the results of data validation and analysis, a percentage of 95.55% was obtained for content validation and a percentage of 97,52% for construct validation, both of which were classified as very valid. From these results it can be concluded that the interactive module containing Problem Based Learning with socioscientific issues in the water cycle material is feasible to use in terms of validity aspects

Development and Validation of E-Books Based on Socio-Scientific Issues to Improve The Argumentation Skills of High School Students

This study aims to develop and analyze the validity of the e-book on environmental pollution based on socio-scientific issues to improve students' argumentation skills. The development of the e-book uses the ADDIE design (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation), but this research has only reached the development stage (Development/D). This study used a qualitative descriptive analysis using a validation sheet instrument in the form of a questionnaire by two experts: material experts and technology/application experts. Data analysis technique using Content Validity Ratio (CVR). The validation results of material experts got a score of 98.38% in the very feasible category, while the application/technology expert for evaluating the application of content and language feasibility, respectively, got a score of 85.94% and 81.58% in the very feasible category. Based on the assessment results of the two validators, the e-book on environmental pollution based on socio-scientific issues was declared valid and suitable for use in the learning process. The conceptual implication of this study is that environmental pollution e-books based on socio-scientific issues can facilitate students in developing argumentation skills. As for the practical implications, the e-book can be used as an innovation as a Biology learning resource that makes it easier for students to learn independently and streamlines the delivery of material in learning activities in the classroom for teachers.

VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF ISLAMIC AND INDONESIAN-BASED CONTEXTUAL SCIENCE LITERACY ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS

This study aims to determine the validity of the Islamic and Indonesian-based contextual scientific literacy assessment instrument (ALSKII) using the Rasch model. This instrument was developed in the context of Covid-19 as a socio-scientific issue that is presented in a structured manner with a plural model, namely scientific and socio-scientific. The scientific model represents the content of science which is presented in three models, namely mechanistic, systematic, and mathematical. The socio-scientific model is a scientific context that is integrated with religion and nation. This instrument has five skills which are made into 25 question items. The sample of this research is 75 final-semester science education students who were selected purposively. The results showed that the Islamic and Indonesian-based contextual scientific literacy assessment instrument was valid and reliable with a person measure the value of 0.73, MNSQ person and item close to 0.0, person and ZSTD item close to 1.0, Cronbach alpha 0.67, person reliability 0.64 and item reliability 0.95. This instrument can be an alternative in the assessment of scientific literacy based on religion and the state. The instrument can also be further developed according to the context and socio-scientific issues that need to be solved in the community.

Penerapan e-book berbasis socio-scientific issues dalam meningkatkan kemandirian belajar pada materi sistem sirkulasi darah

Independent learning is an important aspect for students to learn without being accompanied by a teacher (learning outside the classroom). The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of e-books based on socio-scientific issues (SSI) in increasing students’ learning independence on the material of the blood circulation system. The research method used is a quantitative method, with a nonequivalent control group design. The sample in this study were two class XI in one high school in Yogyakarta, each class amounted to 33 students. The instrument used is a learning independence questionnaire, with reference to 5 aspects of learning independence. Hypothesis testing was carried out with the help of SPSS using the Mann Whitney U test. In addition, data analysis techniques were also carried out using the n-gain score. The results of hypothesis testing regarding learning independence using the Mann-Whittney U test showed that there was a significant difference in the average value of learning independence between the experimental class and the control class. Then, the average gain score for students’ learning independence in the experimental class was 0.64 which was included in the medium category. While the average in the control class is 0.27 in the low category. It can be concluded that the use of SSI-based e-book media is effective in increasing students’ learning independence on the material of the blood circulation system.

Trends and Issues in Science Education in the New Millennium: A Bibliometric Analysis of the JRST

As a real time socio-scientific issue, the COVID-19 pandemic has clearly shown us the need for the public to understand science. As experts have repeatedly stressed in recent years, science education plays an important role in developing scientifically literate societies. In this context, it is critical to consider which subjects science educators frequently concentrate on and the messages they give to researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use bibliometric data to understand the topics that the articles in the Journal of Research in Science Teaching (JRST), one of the flagship journals about science education and teaching, focused on over the last 20 years. This study employed both descriptive and bibliometric analysis. Based on data from the Web of Science (WoS), descriptive analyses are presented as frequencies and percentages and we used VOSviewer software for bibliometric analysis. Findings showed that more than 80% of the authors of the JRST are from the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Moreover, results of these analyses demonstrate that the researchers publishing in the JRST focused on two main ideas over the past 20 years: “Which science teaching methods and strategies are most effective?” and “What can be done to make science teaching more inclusive?” As a result, it can be clearly seen that JRST has special attention on inclusive approach in science education which should be designed to include traditionally underrepresented groups.

Life Sciences Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge When Addressing Socioscientific Issues in The Topic Evolution

The South African life sciences curriculum envisages a teacher who negotiates through controversial issues in the topic of evolution and helps learners reconcile the content and their religious or cultural aspects. Previous studies have found that teachers are conflicted to teach evolution concepts due to socioscientific issues (SSIs) emanating from sociocultural and religious beliefs and those of their learners. Consequently, the current paper reports a study that sought to establish life sciences teachers’ topic specific pedagogical content knowledge when teaching some concepts in the topic evolution. This is against the backdrop that teachers are conflicted about teaching the theory of evolution. In a qualitative study, an open-ended questionnaire designed to assess science teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Biological socioscientific issues (PCK-BSSIs) was administered to selected 28 life sciences teachers who had taught the topic evolution for some time. The findings showed that the teaching of SSIs in evolution through debates, argumentation, and discussions, provides a platform for learner critical thinking, problem-solving and the ability to make informed decisions. Some teachers failed to realise the need for inclusion of evolution in the curriculum considering its invasive and challenging nature with regards to sociocultural and religious beliefs. Teachers therefore used textbook knowledge without engaging learners. Based on these findings, the researchers recommend that teachers be equipped with not only the pedagogical skills to address controversial issues but should also be developed in the subject matter knowledge.

Profile Of Informal Reasoning (Ir) Of State Senior High School Students In Demak Regency

This study looks at the Informal Reasoning profiles of state high school students in the Demak 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 10 state high schools in Demak 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 the rational pattern with a percentage of 48.40%, the emotive pattern was 27.46%, and the lowest pattern is in the intuitive pattern with a percentage of 24.24%. Among the several factors that influence reasoning include personal experience, social considerations, which can come from educational, economic, or religious aspects, moral-ethical considerations, and their attention to technological developments as they are involved in social and technological issues, seen to be influential.

Informal Reasoning Profile (IR) Students of SMA Negeri 1 Toroh, Grobongan District, Central Java Province

Informal Reasoning (IR) is reasoning that is individual. Informal reasoning can be trained by providing questions based on socio-scientific issues. This study aims to determine the profile of Informal Reasoning (IR) students of class XI MIPA SMA Negeri 1 Toroh. The research subjects totaled 216 students. The sampling technique for this research is Proportionate Stratified Random Sampling. The method used is a survey via the Google Informal Reasoning (IR) test form in the form of multiple choice questions and descriptions, as well as supporting data in the form of teacher and student interview sheets and school observation sheets. The results showed that SMA Negeri 1 Toroh was categorized as 'good' with an average score of 73.8. The average percentage score for the 'good' category, namely 78.24%, was obtained because students' answers in responding to an issue could consider the risks and benefits as well as the emotional response to those related to the issue. The 'very good' category obtained a percentage of 15.74% because the students' answers in responding to social issues were already logical and used scientific language for various considerations of either sustainable losses or benefits. As for the category 'good enough' to get a percentage of 6.02%, it is known that students' answers respond to a social issue by considering a sense of concern. The results of mastery of each Informal Reasoning (IR) pattern are rational patterns with the highest acquisition of 46% then emotive patterns of 29%, while intuitive patterns with a percentage of 25%. Based on the research that has been carried out, it is concluded that the Informal Reasoning (IR) abilities of SMA Negeri 1 Toroh students are influenced by several factors including teacher competence, cognitive knowledge, regional demographics and infrastructure.