Reconceptualizing the teaching of controversial issues
Reconceptualizing the teaching of controversial issues
Science has a role to play in the resolution of many of the issues deemed controversial in all societies. However, evidence of a lack of public confidence in science and scientists as effective problem solvers continues to accumulate. This paper speculates that this lack of confidence might in part be due to the way in which science educators present controversial issues. In particular, we argue that current approaches to teaching about controversy do not sufficiently acknowledge the nature of the issues themselves. The paper proposes a set of principles as the basis for a reconceptualization of the teaching of controversial issues and gives an example of how they might be applied in the teaching of one topic.
controversial issues, education, citizenship, teaching
411-423
Oulton, Christopher
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Dillon, Justin
b95c72b4-ae2e-4054-9015-6cf4484a17dd
Grace, Marcus
173cc188-a012-441d-8076-ec8d962345da
2004
Oulton, Christopher
0015cca4-76de-4d55-9374-49fd2989e7f0
Dillon, Justin
b95c72b4-ae2e-4054-9015-6cf4484a17dd
Grace, Marcus
173cc188-a012-441d-8076-ec8d962345da
Oulton, Christopher, Dillon, Justin and Grace, Marcus
(2004)
Reconceptualizing the teaching of controversial issues.
International Journal of Science Education, 26 (4), .
(doi:10.1080/0950069032000072746).
Abstract
Science has a role to play in the resolution of many of the issues deemed controversial in all societies. However, evidence of a lack of public confidence in science and scientists as effective problem solvers continues to accumulate. This paper speculates that this lack of confidence might in part be due to the way in which science educators present controversial issues. In particular, we argue that current approaches to teaching about controversy do not sufficiently acknowledge the nature of the issues themselves. The paper proposes a set of principles as the basis for a reconceptualization of the teaching of controversial issues and gives an example of how they might be applied in the teaching of one topic.
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Published date: 2004
Keywords:
controversial issues, education, citizenship, teaching
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Local EPrints ID: 12657
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/12657
ISSN: 0950-0693
PURE UUID: e146c38b-73cd-414b-a3e1-2b28c4cdb6d9
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Date deposited: 13 Dec 2004
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 05:06
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Author:
Christopher Oulton
Author:
Justin Dillon
Author:
Marcus Grace
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