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STEPWISE: A Societal-Historical Activity (Activism) Theoretical Perspective

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Book cover Science and Technology Education Promoting Wellbeing for Individuals, Societies and Environments

Part of the book series: Cultural Studies of Science Education ((CSSE,volume 14))

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Abstract

STEPWISE is a program that focuses on relocating science education in the context of a promotion of well-being for individuals, societies, and their environments. In its conception, the framework makes use of more traditional theoretical terms, which may actually constitute baggage that weighs down and hinders the realization of the extraordinary opportunities that arise from this reorientation. In this chapter, I provide a cultural-historical activity (activism) theoretical perspective, which provides a holistic vision of what STEPWISE is about and overcomes the short-comings associated with some of the outdated theoretical terms currently used to describe it. The reframing offered provides opportunities to think about teaching and learning in terms of increasing participation in everyday life of organic intellectuals, who not pursue understanding as an end in itself but work for the practical transformation of their conditions (social and natural environments). In the end, the STEPWISE approach comes out strengthened through the reconstruction offered in this chapter.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    STEPWISE’ is the acronym for Science & Technology Education Promoting Well-being for Individuals, Societies & Environments. It is a theoretical and practical framework that organizes teaching/learning goals in ways that encourage and enable students to self-direct research-informed and negotiated actions to address personal, social and environmental problems linked to fields of science and technology. To learn more about this framework, refer to Chap. 2 in this book.

  2. 2.

    On an absolute time scale, different societies evolve formal schooling at different time points. Moreover, schooling may initially exist on a voluntary level and for those who can afford it and later become obligatory for all youth. Some societies did not have formal schooling right into the twentieth century.

  3. 3.

    In Brisbane (Queensland, Australia) bananas, which are grown just outside of the city, are three times as expensive as in Vancouver (British Columbia, Canada) where the bananas have come from Central America. Brisbanites support Australian farmworkers; Vancouverites contribute to the exploitation of farmers and workers in Central America.

  4. 4.

    My co-investigator and coauthor of this study, conducted during my last two years as a fulltime high school teacher, was a physics student. When he finished his education, which included a PhD in cell biology in addition to an MD, he became the third pediatric nephrologist (professor) in Canada.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Education, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada

    Wolff-Michael Roth

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  1. Wolff-Michael Roth
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Correspondence to Wolff-Michael Roth .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Larry Bencze

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Roth, WM. (2017). STEPWISE: A Societal-Historical Activity (Activism) Theoretical Perspective. In: Bencze, L. (eds) Science and Technology Education Promoting Wellbeing for Individuals, Societies and Environments. Cultural Studies of Science Education, vol 14. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55505-8_32

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-55505-8_32

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