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Putting science education in its place: the science question in social justice education

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Abstract

By arguing for putting science education in its place, this essay cautions against overstating the role of science education with respect to global crises with technical components, like climate change. At the same time, it challenges the assumption that science education has no role in addressing equally urgent and widespread problems of oppression, like white supremacy. Putting science education in its place implies considering the potential contributions of science education to the unfinished field of critical pedagogy. This essay takes up this potential in discussion with three contributions in the special issue of this journal commemorating the centenary of Paulo Freire. By highlighting science curriculum that is organized around generative themes, this discussion emphasizes transdisciplinarity as a feature of transformative science education. This discussion also points to counternarratives where cultivating critical consciousness and moving toward collectivism are sources of hope and inspiration in the face of overwhelming challenges to our collective well-being.

Resumo

A través del argumento de poner la educación científica en su lugar, este ensayo busca advertir contra la exageración del papel de la educación científica con respecto a las grandes crisis globales aparentemente técnicas, como el cambio climático. Al mismo tiempo, desafía la suposición de que la educación científica no tiene ningún papel en abordar problemas de opresión igualmente urgentes y generalizados, como la supremacía blanca. Poner la educación científica en su lugar implica considerar las potenciales contribuciones de la educación científica al inconcluso campo de las pedagogías críticas. Este ensayo retoma este potencial en discusión con tres contribuciones en el número especial de esta revista en conmemoración del centenario de Paulo Freire. Al resaltar el currículo de ciencias que está organizado en torno a temas generativos, esta discusión enfatiza la transdisciplinariedad como una característica de la educación científica transformadora. Esta discusión también apunta a contranarrativas donde el cultivar la conciencia crítica y los movimientos hacia el colectivismo actúan como fuentes de esperanza e inspiración frente a desafíos abrumadores para nuestro bienestar colectivo.

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  1. Curriculum and Instruction, University of Illinois Chicago, 1040 W Harrison Street, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA

    Daniel Morales-Doyle

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This manuscript is a part of the special issue Reflecting on Freire: A praxis of radical love and critical hope for science education, guest edited by Betzabe Torres Olave, Sara Tolbert, and Alejandra Frausto Aceves.

Lead Editor: Betzabé Torres Olave.

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Morales-Doyle, D. Putting science education in its place: the science question in social justice education. Cult Stud of Sci Educ 18, 81–94 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-023-10151-w

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