Increasing the socio-cultural relevance of science education for sustainable development

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.