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Developing high quality decision-making discussions about biological conservation in a normal classroom setting

Developing high quality decision-making discussions about biological conservation in a normal classroom setting
Developing high quality decision-making discussions about biological conservation in a normal classroom setting
The conservation of biodiversity is an important socio-scientific issue, often regarded as a precondition to sustainable development, and the foundation for citizens’ understanding of conservation issues can be laid down in formal school education.
This research focuses on decision-making discussions about biological conservation issues among 131 15-16 year old students, to address two main research questions:
1. Can peer-group decision-making discussions, in a normal science lesson setting, help develop students’ personal reasoning in relation to conservation issues? 2. Are there features common to high-quality discussions about conservation which might be readily identified by classroom teachers?
Findings indicate the positive value of students taking part in these short decision-making discussions, guided by a structured framework, as part of their normal science classroom activities. Students increase their quality of personal reasoning, and modify their solutions to the issues. The study begins to uncover features about students, as individuals and as members of discussion groups, which can be associated with high quality decision-making about conservation issues, and which teachers might realistically identify. The work calls for the need to cultivate these features, and integrate them appropriately with learning about the scientific concepts that underpin the theory and practice of conservation management. Such integration will facilitate the development of teaching strategies for dealing effectively with the complex topic of biological conservation; not just in terms of science content, but also in terms of how students are expected to engage with the issues.
conservation, decision-making, school, biology
0950-0693
551-570
Grace, Marcus
bb019e62-4134-4f74-9e2c-d235a6f89b97
Grace, Marcus
bb019e62-4134-4f74-9e2c-d235a6f89b97

Grace, Marcus (2009) Developing high quality decision-making discussions about biological conservation in a normal classroom setting. International Journal of Science Education, 31 (4), 551-570. (doi:10.1080/09500690701744595).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The conservation of biodiversity is an important socio-scientific issue, often regarded as a precondition to sustainable development, and the foundation for citizens’ understanding of conservation issues can be laid down in formal school education.
This research focuses on decision-making discussions about biological conservation issues among 131 15-16 year old students, to address two main research questions:
1. Can peer-group decision-making discussions, in a normal science lesson setting, help develop students’ personal reasoning in relation to conservation issues? 2. Are there features common to high-quality discussions about conservation which might be readily identified by classroom teachers?
Findings indicate the positive value of students taking part in these short decision-making discussions, guided by a structured framework, as part of their normal science classroom activities. Students increase their quality of personal reasoning, and modify their solutions to the issues. The study begins to uncover features about students, as individuals and as members of discussion groups, which can be associated with high quality decision-making about conservation issues, and which teachers might realistically identify. The work calls for the need to cultivate these features, and integrate them appropriately with learning about the scientific concepts that underpin the theory and practice of conservation management. Such integration will facilitate the development of teaching strategies for dealing effectively with the complex topic of biological conservation; not just in terms of science content, but also in terms of how students are expected to engage with the issues.

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More information

Published date: 1 March 2009
Keywords: conservation, decision-making, school, biology
Organisations: Mathematics and Science Education

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 71911
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/71911
ISSN: 0950-0693
PURE UUID: bf5f8f5a-11f2-4f26-a0d8-cb66723cae26
ORCID for Marcus Grace: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1949-1765

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 12 Jan 2010
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 02:36

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