Consensus in Science Education
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Consensus in Science Education Ian Phil Canlas and Mageswary Karpudewan School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia
Synonyms Scientific literacy
Definition Science education refers to the teaching and learning of science and its allied disciplines at all levels of schooling including the science courses at universities. It is geared toward achieving scientific literacy. Specifically, it aims at developing a functional level of scientific knowledge and understanding and skills for the general public, as well as cultivating science process skills and curiosity that one may refer and call upon in everyday life – citizens that are scientifically, technologically, and environmentally literate. It also aims at developing the next generation of scientists who are morally and ethically grounded in continuing the quest for new knowledge and understanding of nature and use the same in addressing existing issues, concerns, and gaps, further improve the conditions of life and the society and achieve sustainable development as a whole.
Introduction The turn of the twenty-first century was marked with significant changes in all aspects of life and the society including the teaching and learning of science at all levels. With new technology and knowledge readily available, mankind is faced with a dilemma in bridging the old and traditional ways with the new trends and development, and science education is not an exemption to it. Today, with increasing population, advancing socioeconomic development, and depleting natural resources, it is of utmost importance and relevance to bring upfront the issues and concerns toward achieving sustainable development in all aspects of the society. The most common and frequently quoted definition of sustainable development is “a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future generation to meet their own needs” (World Commission on Environment and Development 1987). In relation to this, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defined education for sustainable development (ESD) as a way of empowering learners to make informed decisions for environmental integrity, economic viability, and a just society for the present and future generations, while respecting cultural diversity. It emphasizes the integration of critical issues such as climate change, biodiversity, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable consumption and production into the curricula including the sciences. It
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 W. Leal Filho et al. (eds.), Quality Education, Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-69902-8_92-1
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calls for an interactive and learner-centered way of teaching and learning that allows exploration, action, and transformation. It promotes critical and systematic thinking, collaborative decisionmaking, and taking responsibility for present and future generation (UNESCO n.d.). Among the international developmental frameworks that ES
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