Page 161 - Cultural Studies of Science Education

138 J. Ponder and A. Cox-Peterson

California science standards proclaim, “scientific progress is made by asking
meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations” (California State
Board of Education 1998, p. 7). In order for this goal to be attained, students must
have the opportunity to identify and consider issues impacting the natural world
around them, explore alternative solutions connected to science issues, and work
together to learn science content and enact change.

Civic Knowledge, Dispositions, and Skills

It is important to note that citizenship education is often cited as a priority in most
school mission statements, so it is interesting to consider how this goal might trans-
late into practice, particularly science practice. It is a challenge, however, for teach-
ers to find curricula to help students understand that civic education is not a list of
mechanical skills for a test, but knowledge for further developing and “creating a
public” (Postman 1995, p. 18). Patrick (2002) developed a framework that defines
components of common education for citizenship in a democracy. We use Patrick’s
framework to create the following three categories of civic education as related to
civic curriculum: (a) civic knowledge, (b) civic dispositions, and (c) civic skills.
If active civic involvement is necessary to promote civic competence, it is crucial
that citizens are knowledgeable, for “when participants possess a rich storehouse of
knowledge about democracy and social life near and far, their discussions and deci-
sions are more intelligent and their service projects more effective” (Parker 2005, p.
92). With any discussion about knowledge, it is inevitable that the issue of what knowl-
edge should be deemed important will arise. We believe this discussion will depend on
the nature of the project and the meaningful connections the students will find as they
examine the issue. We argue that natural connections related to science concepts, prin-
ciples, practices, contexts, integrated with the history of democracy and institutions of
representative democratic government (Patrick and Vontz 2001) will emerge through
the curricular experience. If this situation is true, then teachers can use the context of
an action-based project to expand students’ civic and science knowledge.
The second aspect of civic education critical to quality civic curriculum is the devel-
opment of attitudes and values regarding the roles and responsibilities of citizenship.
These civic dispositions are the elements of civic education concerned with the habits
and inclinations that summarize an individual’s behaviors and values in relation to
democracy. According to Parker (2005), these virtues include responsibility, civility,
honesty, courage, fairness, and lawfulness. Wynne (1986) emphasizes the importance
of civic dispositions by stating that moral values have been dominant in all educational
areas throughout history. According to Patrick and Vontz (2001), qualities such as
promoting the common good, recognizing and supporting equality for all people, and
fostering responsible civic participation are all traits necessary to sustain a representa-
tive democracy. By perpetuating and promoting these dispositions through an action-
based curriculum, educators can begin to help students move beyond citizenship that
focuses on good deeds, and develop the participatory civic skills of deliberation and
policy analysis necessary in order to maintain democracy and enact change.