Current Issues in Environmental and Science Education Research

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David F Treagust ICRIEMS 2014 19 May 2014

Current Issues in Environmental and Science Education Research


Current Issues in Environ. & Sci. Edn Research

A Digression Permantapan Kerja Guru (PKG)—strengthening the work of

teachers—approach to in-service teacher development in Indonesia for science teachers.

Inducted science teachers into using student-centred learning that encouraged open communication with students and their active participation in classroom and laboratory activities.

During the 1980s and 1990s, the PKG project funded by the World Bank was the single largest teacher professional development program in the world

4 weeks in Indonesia in 1990 and 1991 working on the PKG Project Jakarta in 1997 – a project with an Indonesian Private Universities

Consortium – to improve teaching approaches Salatiga – Satya Wacana Christian University - 1990

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A Digression Thair, M. & Treagust, D. F. (2003). A brief history of science teacher professional development

initiative in Indonesia and the implications for centralised teacher development. International Journal of Educational Development, 23, 201-213.

Thair, M. & Treagust, D. F (1997). A review of teacher development reforms in Asian secondary science: The effectiveness of practical work in biology. Research in Science Education, 27, 581-597.

Irianto, B. & Treagust, D. F. (1989). The use of practical work and difficulties of physics teachers in Indonesia. Journal of Science and Mathematics Education in Southeast Asia, 12 (1), 50-58.

Wahyudi & Treagust, D. F. (2006). Science education in Indonesia: A classroom learning environment perspective. In D. Fisher & M S Khine (Eds.). Contemporary approaches to research on learning environment worldviews (pp. 221-246). Hackensack, NJ/Singapore: World Scientific.

Wahyudi & Treagust, D. F. (2004). An investigation of science teaching practices in Indonesian rural secondary schools. Research in Science Education, 34, 455-474.

Wahyudi & Treagust, D. F (2004). The status of the science classroom learning environment in Indonesian lower secondary schools. Learning Environment Research, 7(1), 43-63.

Treagust, D. F. & Paulus, G. (1990). An investigation of electrical and magnetic concepts held by students who enter the physics stream of senior secondary school in Kupang. Indonesian Association of Physicists - Jogyakarta branch, Salatiga, Indonesia, August.

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Forty years (1975-2014) of unprecedented developments in research in science education and environmental education

1 Increased International Professional Activity2 Output of Publications in Science Education from an

Increasingly Wider Range of Nations3 Increasing Professional Development Initiatives4 More Relevant Science Education and Assessment5 Concerns for Inclusivity in Science Education6 Diversity in Research in Science Education7 Research on the Status of Science Teaching


1. Increased International Professional Activity in Science Education Research

Established Annual Meetings• NARST - National Association for Research in Science

Teaching - established in 1928• ASERA - Australasian Science Education Research

Association - established in 1970• GDCP - German Physical Science Education Research

Association - established in 1971• IOSTE - International Organisation for Science and

Technology Education - established in 1979• History and Philosophy of Science Assoc. - established 1988• ESERA- European Science Education Research Association -

established 1995

Now numerous Science Education Research Conferences and Meetings in a Wide Range of Locations


1. Increased International Professional Activity - Large scale assessments and international comparisons Studies involving many nations are designed to investigate reading,

scientific and mathematical literacy

Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)

Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)

PISA is a different approach to TIMSS, looking at reading, scientific and mathematical literacy

Search for more in-depth (comparative) information

Nation-wide programs in many countries to increase the efficiency of science and mathematics education

Often controversies about findings


2. Output of Publications in Science Education from an Increasingly Wider Range of Nations

Increasing willingness for nationals of non-English countries to write and present in English – especially from countries previously less active on the international scene – demands for promotion

Increasing interest in the findings from science education research by physicists, chemists, biologists and engineers – university requirements to improve the quality of teaching

An increasing willingness to consider alternative forms of assessment in schooling – administrative demands and student focus

The rise of STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics At university level in science and engineering, awareness of what

colleagues in science education have to offer and a willingness to be innovative



Established Journals in the English LanguageJournal of Research in Science TeachingScience EducationInternational Journal of Science EducationResearch in Science EducationScience & Education Research in Science and Technology EducationSchool Science and Mathematics Studies in Science Education

The Journal of Environmental EducationEnvironmental Educator



Newer JournalsClassroom Environments: An International Journal (1997)American Journal of Physics (Physics Education edition) (1998)Canadian Journal of Science, Maths and Technology Education (2001)Journal of Science Education (Revista De Educacion En Ciencias)

(2002) - articles in English and Spanish International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education (2003)International Journal of Environmental and Science Education (2005) Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education(2004)



2. Output of Publications in Science Education from an Increasingly Wider Range of NationsSome statistics for International Journal of Science and Mathematics EducationWhy discuss this journal?

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Submission from English Speaking Countries

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 20120%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

Countries included:Australia, Canada, Singapore, India, Hong Kong, New Zealand, UK, and USA


Submission by Country from 2011-2013

United States; 19%

Turkey; 14%

Taiwan, Republic of China, 8%

Australia; 5%India; 4%Israel; 3%Korea, Republic of; 3%

Germany; 2% Spain; 2%

United Kindom; 2%

Iran, Islamic Republic of; 2%

Malaysia; 2%China; 2%

Singapore; 2%Canada; 1%

Others; 28%


3. Increasing Professional Development Initiatives• Initiatives to look at reflect impact of research on practice

• Coalition of professional societies, employers and universities – ICASE, Australian Government’s Office of Teaching and Learning

• Increasing roles of science teachers' associations – offering professional development – linked to government goals

• Recognition of the importance of good materials - curricula, teachers’ guides, educational documents – Australian national curriculum

• Professional Development as a way of introducing teachers to research findings – teachers conducting action research

• Need for extensive research on the required professional development – one-off activities do not provide useful outcomes


4. Calls for More Relevant Science Education Curricula and Assessment

In most nations, increasing numbers of students staying on beyond compulsory leaving age

Consistent calls for a curriculum to provide appropriate science education – context-oriented science, ChemCom, Chemie in Kontext

Interest in scientific literacy and assessment - at all levels of formal schooling and beyond

Need to consider and compare different school systems for effective examples

Issues related to concerns for inclusivity in science education – teacher preparation, duty of care, safety

Assessment demands change – need for teacher inservice


5. Concerns for Inclusivity in Science Education A key issue is the place of science in society Bilingual and multilingual classrooms - for example,

Spanish speakers in mainstream US classrooms; changes in the medium of instruction

Non-mainstream students - those with disabilities of different kinds - a growing concern and a somewhat controversial issue

Previous concerns about the low participation of girls in science and mathematics

Recent concerns about the decreasing participation of boys in science and mathematics

Immigration and learning science - an issue receiving insufficient attention


6. Diversity in Research in Science Education Science education research is characterised by the issues addressed Research methods draw on perspectives from philosophy,

psychology, sociology, history, anthropology, economics Science education is not one research paradigm - there is too much

disagreement at a fundamental level Paradigms are broadly categorised as post-positivist designs,

ethnographic and critical theory Mixed methods are a recent pragmatic approach to conducting

research Increasing acceptance of alternative genres of science education

research with their own strengths and weaknessesCase studies; Narrative accounts; First person accounts


6. Diversity in Research in Science EducationPast decades research concerned with Teacher education – preservice, inservice, field

experiences, action research Teaching – teachers’ pedagogical knowledge, teacher

cognition, forms of knowledge representation Learning – conceptual change, classroom contexts,

instructional approaches, students’ alternative conceptions, classroom learning environments.

Curriculum evaluation and assessment – alternative forms of assessment, teacher evaluation, identifying effective schools

Tsai, C-C, & Wen M l (2005). International Journal of Science Education, 27(1), 3-14 Lin, T-C, Lin, T-J, & Tsai, C-C (2014). International Journal of Science Education, 36(8),1346-1372.



6. Diversity in Research in Science Education

Cultural, social and gender issues – social scientific issues, multicultural and bilingual issues,

History, philosophy, epistemology and nature of science – nature of science, ethical and moral issues

Educational technology – computers is schools, on-line resources, laptops, learning and assessment with technology

Informal settings – museums, field trips, public awareness of science

Tsai, C-C, & Wen M l (2005). International Journal of Science Education, 27(1), 3-14 Lin, T-C, Lin, T-J, & Tsai, C-C (2014). International Journal of Science Education,

36(8),1346-1372.

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Specifically about Environmental Education

An evolving area of activity with challenges Professionalising the field Environmental Education and Education for

Sustainable Deveolpment Climate change Marcinkowski, T. J. (2010). The Journal of Environmental Education, 41(1), 34-54

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7. Research on the Status of Science Teaching In western nations, status of science teaching is

declining

Science teaching no longer a career of first choice

Concerns about the ageing science teachers workforce

Lack of well qualified pool of people for science teaching

Problems with replacing current teachers- concerted action in some countries to address this

Problems with teacher career structure

Comparisons with Finland


Areas in need of research A greater understanding of the relationships between

policy and practice - and a realistic expectation of what research can contribute to practice

Expansion of cross-national research collaboration – but need a strong rationale

Multidimensionality of learning - epistemological, ontological and affective/motivational perspectives

Scientific literacy - from a language point of view and from a science point of view

Assessment - authentic, formative, summative Relationship between multidimensional nature of

learning and the characteristics of the science content

Documents

Current Issues in Environmental and Science Education Research