Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Decision Making and Use of Evidence in a Socio-scientific Problem on Air Quality

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Socio-scientific Issues in the Classroom

Part of the book series: Contemporary Trends and Issues in Science Education ((CTISE,volume 39))

Abstract

The study reported here arises from the overlapping interests of the two authors as we came together as supervisor and student for a master’s dissertation. As an experienced researcher, Shirley Simon had been studying argumentation in school science over many years, in particular focusing on the ways in which teachers develop their pedagogical approach to argument and the challenges they experience when trying to change their practice (Simon, Erduran, & Osborne, 2006; Simon & Maloney, 2007). One feature of Simon’s work with teachers was to study how they organised and managed small group discussion, role play, and class debates, and how students engaged with scientific evidence or socio-scientific issues (SSI) to construct arguments in different contexts (Osborne, Erduran, & Simon, 2004a). The research, conducted in schools in the United Kingdom, led to the development of activities and guidance for teachers in argumentation (Osborne, Erduran, & Simon, 2004b), which coincided with changes in the science component of the English national curriculum for 14–16 year olds, and the emergence of a course aimed to enhance scientific literacy (SL) called Twenty First Century Science (OCR, 2005). The new national curriculum places more emphasis on the nature of science (NOS), and Twenty First Century Science includes activities for students to debate and construct arguments on issues related to science topics, with a focus on relevance to everyday life; it also includes pedagogical guidance for teachers in how to organise and manage such activities.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 169.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 219.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Aikenhead, G. (2006). Science education for everyday life: Evidence-based practice. New York: Teacher College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, J., Hogarth, S., Lubben, F., Campbell, B., & Robinson, A. (2010). Talking science: The research evidence on the use of small group discussions in science. International Journal of Science Education, 32(1), 69–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett, J., Lubben, F., Hogarth, S., Campbell, B., & Robinson, A. (2005). A systematic review of the nature of small-group discussions aimed at improving students’ understanding of evidence in science. In Research evidence in education library. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London. Retrieved July 9, 2007, from http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/Default.aspx?tabid=326

  • Braund, M., Lubben, F., Scholtz, Z., Sadeck, M., & Hodges, M. (2007). Comparing the effect of scientific and socio-scientific argumentation tasks: Lessons from South Africa. School Science Review, 88(324), 67–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Burden, J., Campbell, P., Hunt, A., & Millar, R. (2007). A project response. In UYSEG and Nuffield Foundation (2007): Twenty first century science pilot evaluation report. Retrieved June 26, 2007, from http://www.21stcenturyscience.org/data/files/c21-evaln-rpt-feb0710101.pdf

  • Erduran, S. (2008). Methodological foundations in the study of argumentation in science classrooms. In S. Erduran & M. Jiménez-Aleixandre (Eds.), Argumentation in science education (pp. 47–69). Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erduran, S., Simon, S., & Osborne, J. (2004). TAPping into argumentation: Developments in the application of Toulmin’s argument pattern for studying science discourse. Science Education, 88(6), 915–933.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodrum, D., Hackling, M., & Rennie, L. (2001). The status and quality of teaching and learning of science in Australian schools. Canberra, Australia: Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hogarth, S., Bennett, J., Campbell, B., Lubben, F., & Robinson, A. (2005). A systematic review of the use of small-group discussions in science teaching with students aged 11–18, and the effect of different stimuli (print materials, practical work, ICT, video/film) on students’ understanding of evidence. In Research evidence in education library. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London. Retrieved July 9, 2007, from http://eppi.ioe.ac.uk/cms/Default.aspx?tabid=324

  • Jiménez-Aleixandre, M. P., & Erduran, S. (2008). Argumentation in science education: An overview. In S. Erduran & M. Jiménez-Aleixandre (Eds.), Argumentation in science education (pp. 3–27). Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, G. (1999). Kidney role-plays. School Science Review, 80(292), 93–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuhn, D. (1991). The skills of argument. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Kuhn, D. (1993). Science as argument: Implications for teaching and learning scientific thinking. Science Education, 77, 319–337.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levinson, R., & Turner, S. (2001). Valuable lessons: Engaging with the social context of science in schools. London: Wellcome Trust.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lunn, S. (2002). What we think we can safely say – Nature of science. British Educational Research Journal, 28(5), 649–672.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maloney, J. F., & Simon, S. (2006). Mapping children’s discussions of evidence in science to assess collaboration and argumentation. International Journal of Science Education, 28(15), 1817–1841.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McSharry, G., & Jones, S. (2000). Role-play in science teaching and learning. School Science Review, 82(298), 73–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Millar, R. (2006). Twenty First Century Science: Insights from the design and implementation of a scientific literacy approach in school science. International Journal of Science Education, 28(13), 1499–1521.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Millar, R., & Osborne, J. (1998). Beyond 2000. Science education for the future. London: King’s College London, School of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newton, P., Driver, R., & Osborne, J. (1999). The place of argumentation in the pedagogy of school science. International Journal of Science Education, 21, 553–576.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Norris, S. P., & Phillips, L. M. (2003). How literacy in its fundamental sense is central to scientific literacy. Science Education, 87, 224–240.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • OCR. (2005). Twenty first century science. Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations (OCR) retrieved July 26, 2007, fromhttp://www.ocr.org.uk/qualifications/type/gcse

  • OECD. (2006). Assessing scientific, reading and mathematical literacy. A framework for PISA 2006. Paris: OECD.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Osborne, J., Erduran, S., & Simon, S. (2004a). Enhancing the quality of argument in school science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 41(10), 994–1020.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osborne, J., Erduran, S., & Simon, S. (2004b). Ideas, evidence and argument in science. In-service training pack, resource Pack and video. London: Nuffield Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ratcliffe, M., & Grace, M. (2003). Science education for citizenship teaching socio-scientific issues. Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ratcliffe, M., & Millar, R. (2009). Teaching for understanding of science in context: Evidence from the pilot trials of the Twenty First Century Science courses. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 46(8), 945–959.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ratcliffe, M., & Osborne, J. (2007). Part 3 changes in classroom practices. In UYSEG and Nuffield Foundation (2007). Twenty first century science pilot evaluation report. Retrieved June 26, 2007), from http://www.21stcenturyscience.org/data/files/c21-evaln-rpt-feb0710101.pdf

  • Roberts, D. (2007). Scientific literacy/science literacy. In S. K. Abell & N. G. Lederman (Eds.), Handbook of research on science education (pp. 729–780). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sadler, T. D. (2004). Informal reasoning regarding socioscientific issues: A critical review of research. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 49(5), 513–536.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sadler, T. D., Barab, S. A., & Scott, B. (2007). What do students gain by engaging in socioscientific inquiry? Research in Science Education, 37, 371–391.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simon, S., Erduran, S., & Osborne, J. (2006). Learning to teach argumentation: Research and development in the science classroom. International Journal of Science Education, 28(2–3), 235–260.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simon, S., & Maloney, J. (2007). Activities for promoting small group discussion and argumentation. School Science Review, 88(324), 49–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Toulmin, S. (1958). The uses of argument. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNESCO. (1999). Science for the twenty-first century. A new commitment. Retrieved July 6, 2007, from, http://www.unesco.org/science/wcs/abstracts/I_7_education.htm

  • UYSEG and Nuffield Foundation (2007). Twenty first century science pilot evaluation report. Retrieved June 26, 2007, from http://www.21stcenturyscience.org/data/files/c21-evaln-rpt-feb0710101.pdf

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Education, University of London, London, UK

    Shirley Simon & Ruth Amos

Authors
  1. Shirley Simon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ruth Amos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shirley Simon .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611, Florida, USA

    Troy D. Sadler

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Simon, S., Amos, R. (2011). Decision Making and Use of Evidence in a Socio-scientific Problem on Air Quality. In: Sadler, T. (eds) Socio-scientific Issues in the Classroom. Contemporary Trends and Issues in Science Education, vol 39. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1159-4_10

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation