Abstract:
Socio-scientific issues should be considered in the course of students’ formal
education in science as one of the ways in which science education ought to be
connected to the goals of sustainable development. Approaches to education in
science still perpetuate a way of thinking that is incommensurable with preparing
learners to develop the understandings and skills requisite for active participation in
an uncertain and complex world. In addition, uptake of science is declining
worldwide, poverty is deepening, and environmental degradation is worsening. We
argue herein that finding ways to link science education to issues of sustainable
development could provide the basis for making science more relevant to learners, as
well as better prepare learners for active participation in society. We raise the
question: How can science education be more relevant, thereby enabling learners to
deal with complex everyday issues and participate in decision-making oriented
toward the goals of sustainable development? Drawing on experiences of
interdisciplinary dialogue, we illustrate how reformulating the agenda in science
education, such that it is oriented toward sustainable development, offers the basis for
relevant teaching and learning vis-à-vis the engagement of learners in active learning
processes.
