Global Developments In Literacy Research For Science Education

This book highlights recent developments in literacy research in science teaching and learning from countries such as Australia, Brazil, China, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, Sweden, Taiwan, and the United States. It includes multiple topics and perspectives on the role of literacy in enhancing science teaching and learning, such as the struggles faced by students in science literacy learning, case studies and evaluations of classroom-based interventions, and the challenges encountered in the science classrooms. It offers a critical and comprehensive investigation on numerous emerging themes in the area of literacy and science education, including disciplinary literacy, scientific literacy, classroom discourse, multimodality, language and representations of science, and content and language integrated learning (CLIL). The diversity of views and research contexts in this volume presents a useful introductory handbook for academics, researchers, and graduate students working in this specialized niche area. With a wealth of instructional ideas and innovations, it is also highly relevant for teachers and teacher educators seeking to improve science teaching and learning through the use of literacy.

Scientific literacy is part of national science education curricula worldwide. In this volume, an international group of distinguished scholars offer new ways to look at the key ideas and practices associated with promoting scientific literacy in schools and higher education. The goal is to open up the debate on scientific literacy, particularly around the tension between theoretical and practical issues related to teaching and learning science. Uniquely drawing together and examining a rich, diverse set of approaches and policy and practice exemplars, the book takes a pragmatic and inclusive perspective on curriculum reform and learning, and presents a future vision for science education research and practice by articulating a more expansive notion of scientific literacy.

In reading this book you are invited to consider the historical, social and political contexts that have driven developments in science education research over the years. A unique feature of science education in Europe is the impact of the European Union on research and development over many years.

In contemporary society, science constitutes a significant part of human life in that it impacts on how people experience and understand the world and themselves. The rapid advances in science and technology, newly established societal and cultural norms and values, and changes in the climate and environment, as well as, the depletion of natural resources all greatly impact the lives of children and youths, and hence their ways of learning, viewing the world, experiencing phenomena around them and interacting with others. These changes challenge science educators to rethink the epistemology and pedagogy in science classrooms today as the practice of science education needs to be proactive and relevant to students and prepare them for life in the present and in the future. Featuring contributions from highly experienced and celebrated science educators, as well as research perspectives from Europe, the USA, Asia and Australia, this book addresses theoretical and practical examples in science education that, on the one hand, plays a key role in our understanding of the world, and yet, paradoxically, now acknowledges a growing number of uncertainties of knowledge about the world. The material is in four sections that cover the learning and teaching of science from science literacy to multiple representations; science teacher education; the use of innovations and new technologies in science teaching and learning; and science learning in informal settings including outdoor environmental learning activities. Acknowledging the issues and challenges in science education, this book hopes to generate collaborative discussions among scholars, researchers, and educators to develop critical and creative ways of science teaching to improve and enrich the lives of our children and youths.

"This book comprises a wide range of scholarly essays introducing readers to key topics and issues in science education. Science education has become a well established field in its own right, with a vast literature, and many active areas of scholarship. Science Education: An International Course Companion offers an entry point for students seeking a sound but introductory understanding of the key perspectives and areas of thinking in science education. Each account is self-contained and offers a scholarly and research-informed introduction to a particular topic, theme, or perspective, with both citations to key literature and recommendations for more advanced reading. Science Education: An International Course Companion allows readers (such as those preparing for school science teaching, or seeking more advanced specialist qualifications) to obtain a broad familiarity with key issues across the field as well as guiding wider reading about particular topics of interest. The book therefore acts as a reader to support learning across courses in science education internationally. The broad coverage of topics is such that that the book will support students following a diverse range of courses and qualifications. The comprehensive nature of the book will allow course leaders and departments to nominate the book as the key reader to support students – their core ‘course companion’ in science education."

The development of science literacy has the potential to have an enormous impact on real world outcomes. Specifically, developing science literacy may persuade individuals to act. We hope that this book will influence scientists, science journalists, sociologists, anthropologists, communication specialists, political leaders, media outlets, educational institutions, and individual science content consumers. The chapters in this book describe a definition of science literacy that draws on the emotional, cognitive, and social. The authors strive to help prepare individuals to read, write, and speak science in a continuously evolving information landscape. In order to meet these objectives, the chapters examine both qualitative and quantitative research. It is within these frameworks that we can begin to address science literacy in the 21st century.

Science Education: A Global Perspective is ‘global’ both in content and authorship. Its 17 chapters by an assemblage of seasoned and knowledgeable science educators from many parts of the world seek to bring to the fore current developments in science education and their implications. The book thus covers a wide range of topics in science education from various national and international perspectives. These include the nature of science, science and religion, evolution, curriculum and pedagogy, context-based teaching and learning, science and national development, socially-responsible science education, equitable access for women and girls in science and technology education, and the benefits of science education research. It ends on an optimistic note by looking at science education in 50 years’ time with a recommendation, among others, for stakeholders to take the responsibility of preparing children towards a blossoming science education sector in an anticipated future world. This book is suitable for use by discerning researchers, teachers, undergraduate and postgraduate students in science education, and policy makers at all levels of education. Other educationalists and personnel in science and technology vocations will also find it interesting and useful as the reader-motivated approach has guided the presentation of ideas. Science Education: A Global Perspective is a rich compendium of the components of science education in context, practice, and delivery. Dr Bulent Cavas, Professor of Science Education, Dokuz Eylul Univerity, Buca-Izmir, Turkey/President-Elect, International Council of Associations for Science Education (ICASE) This book will be of immense relevance for current and future global strides in training and research in science education. Surinder K. Ghai, Chairman, Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India This book provides a refreshing insight into the current status and future direction of science education. It will be very useful to researchers, those pursuing undergraduate and post-graduate courses in science education, and all other personnel involved in the policy and practice of science education. Dr. Bennoit Sossou, Director/Country Representative, UNESCO Regional Office in Abuja, Nigeria

This book explores how science learning can be more relevant and interesting for students and teachers by using a contextualized approach to science education. The contributors explore the contextualization of science education from multiple angles, such as teacher education, curriculum design, assessment and educational policy, and from multiple national perspectives. The aim of this exploration is to provide and inspire new practical approaches to bring science education closer to the lives of students to accelerate progress towards global scientific literacy. The book presents real life examples of how to make science relevant for children and adolescents of diverse ethnic and language backgrounds, socioeconomic status and nationalities, providing tools and guidance for teacher educators and researchers to improve the contextualization and cultural relevance of their practice. The book includes rigorous studies demonstrating that the contextualization of science learning environments is essential for student engagement in learning science and practitioners' reflections on how to apply this knowledge in the classroom and at national scale. This approach makes this book valuable for researchers and professors of science education and international education interested in designing teacher education courses that prepare future teachers to contextualize their teaching and in adding a critical dimension to their research agendas.