Abstract
Civic education is a moral development imperative of the Indonesian national curriculum and the United Nation’s policy on education for sustainable development. It was within this context that we investigated the impact of ethical dilemma story pedagogy (EDSP) on student learning in a constructivist Indonesian STEM learning environment. EDSP uses specially-designed stories to engage students in ethical decision-making for resolving sustainable development dilemmas occurring in their daily lives. The research was conducted in six Indonesian middle schools with 462 students of chemistry, and it was designed to lead to understanding of how well students engaged in a constructivist values learning environment aimed at developing chemistry knowledge/skills and ethical values for living sustainably in the 21st century. Data were collected using the Constructivist Values Learning Environment Survey (CVLES), classroom observations, student interviews and students’ reflective journals. Generally, students had positive perceptions of their constructivist values learning environment, engaged deeply in chemistry learning, reflected critically on their values and the social use of chemistry, and practised mutually-respectful communication and collaborative decision-making as strategies for solving sustainability dilemmas. We conclude that ethical dilemma story pedagogy can play an important role in integrating STEM education and civic education.
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Funding was provided by Universitas Negeri Jakarta (Grant No. 45/SP2H/DRPM/LPPM UNJ/III/2019).
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Appendix
Appendix
Adapted version of CVLES
How I felt about the dilemma story… [deep engagement] | Strongly agree | Agree | Unsure | Disagree | Strongly disagree | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | I was very interested in the dilemma story | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
2 | I really enjoyed the dilemma story | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
*3 | The dilemma story was a complete waste of time | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Teacher support…[teacher support] | Strongly agree | Agree | Unsure | Disagree | Strongly disagree | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 | The teacher encouraged us to participate | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
8 | The teacher made it ok to express our views | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
9 | The teacher helped us accept different opinions | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Working together…[collaborative decision-making] | Strongly agree | Agree | Unsure | Disagree | Strongly disagree | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 | I explained my ideas to others | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
11 | I asked others about their ideas | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
12 | Others asked me about my ideas | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Relating to others…[empathic communication] | Strongly agree | Agree | Unsure | Disagree | Strongly disagree | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
13 | I was open to other students’ opinions | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
14 | I respected opinions different from mine | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
15 | I valued hearing other students’ opinions | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Thinking deeply…[critical self-reflective thinking] | Strongly agree | Agree | Unsure | Disagree | Strongly disagree | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
16 | I thought carefully about my own ideas | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
17 | I questioned my own ideas | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
18 | I became clearer about my own ideas | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Learning about the environment…[critical social thinking] | Strongly agree | Agree | Unsure | Disagree | Strongly disagree | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
19 | I learned chemistry can be dangerous to others | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
20 | I learned chemistry is useful for lives | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
21 | I learned that I can use chemistry knowledge to take care of the environment | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
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Rahmawati, Y., Taylor, E., Taylor, P.C. et al. Student empowerment in a constructivist values learning environment for a healthy and sustainable world. Learning Environ Res 24, 451–468 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-020-09336-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-020-09336-9