Urban High School Students’ Critical Science Agency: Conceptual Understandings and Environmental Actions Around Climate Change
Urban High School Students’ Critical Science Agency: Conceptual Understandings and Environmental Actions Around Climate Change
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城市高中生批判科学机构：围绕气候变化的概念理解和环境行动
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发表时间：
2012
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影响因子：
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通讯作者：
M. Vaughn
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作者：
Katherine L. McNeill;M. Vaughn
本研究探讨了气候变化课程的制定如何支持学生发展批判性科学机构，其中包括学生发展对科学概念的深刻理解和在个人和社区层面采取行动的能力。我们研究了四到六周的城市生态课程对来自美国三所不同城市高中的学生的影响。数据收集包括所有学生（n = 75）的测试前和测试后的书面评估，以及重点学生（n = 22）的前后访谈，以研究学生的概念理解，信念和环境行动的变化。我们的分析表明，在课程开始时，大多数学生认为气候变化正在发生;然而，他们对气候变化的概念理解有限，参与的环境行动有限。到课程结束时，学生对气候变化的理解有了显著提高，大多数学生报告说，他们现在正在采取行动，限制他们对气候变化的个人影响。这些研究结果表明，相信科学理论（如气候变化）是不够的关键科学机构;相反，概念的理解和个人行为的理解影响学生的选择。我们建议，未来的气候变化课程的重点是支持学生的批判性科学机构的发展，解决常见的学生的误解，并侧重于学生的行动如何对环境产生重大影响。
This study investigates how the enactment of a climate change curriculum supports students’ development of critical science agency, which includes students developing deep understandings of science concepts and the ability to take action at the individual and community levels. We examined the impact of a four to six week urban ecology curriculum on students from three different urban high schools in the USA. Data collection included pre and posttest written assessments from all students (n = 75) and pre and post interviews from focal students (n = 22) to examine how students’ conceptual understandings, beliefs and environmental actions changed. Our analyses showed that at the beginning of the curriculum, the majority of students believed that climate change was occurring; yet, they had limited conceptual understandings about climate change and were engaged in limited environmental actions. By the end of the curriculum, students had a significant increase in their understanding of climate change and the majority of students reported they were now engaged in actions to limit their personal impact on climate change. These findings suggest that believing a scientific theory (e.g. climate change) is not sufficient for critical science agency; rather, conceptual understandings and understandings of personal actions impact students’ choices. We recommend that future climate change curriculum focus on supporting students’ development of critical science agency by addressing common student misconceptions and by focusing on how students’ actions can have significant impacts on the environment.