Page 337 - Cultural Studies of Science Education
P. 337

25  Responding to Place                                         311

            emotional ties that form part of the basis of identity; that is, place attachment
            as one component of the sense of place. They assert that place attachment can
            be molded through oral traditions; however, they also describe and analyze how
            it can also be created through social and historical memories; explicit teaching
            in schools, cultural institutions such as museums; and through purposeful visits
            to  cultural  and  historical  sites.  They  argue  that  these  processes  create  place
            meanings, which also contribute to sense of place. I assert that these ideas relate
            to  one’s  sense  of  belonging  in  a  community  –  a  key  aspect  of  an  ecological
            framework.
              Finally, I agree with Semken and Brandt’s notion that places are where we sense
            and connect to our natural and cultural surroundings, and that sense of place is a
            construct that usefully describes this connection. Place-based content and pedagogy
            are highly relevant to the development of environmental ethics, conservation, eco-
            logical integrity, and cultural sustainability. As such, the methods and perspectives
            in place-based forms of education form a necessary part of a science education that
            is rooted in ecological notions of science, community, and self.



            Conclusion


            Placing the theory and practice of place-based education within a critique of historical
            science education curriculum reform reveals that the inclusion of environmental
            topics often only considers scientific and technical information, and that teaching
            within a “values free” context can be problematic for science education. The alter-
            native concept of an ecological framework for science education lies at the nexus
            between  a  science  education  emphasizing  particular  forms  of  knowledge  con-
            struction conceived of and implemented outside of “authentic” communities, and
            grassroots  “environmental  learning”  that  juxtaposes  this  knowledge  with  other
            sociocultural and values-based constructs – including ethical and moral reasoning.
            I assert that students need to consider multiple values-based views about environ-
            mental in their science classrooms and that this should occur within the context of
            a  localized  and  ecological  view  of  communities.  Such  a  framework  would  also
            allow  students  to  develop  valuable  sociocultural  skills  and  cognitive  attributes
            through  exposure  to  real-world  problems.  Further,  these  would  be  grounded  in
            personal experience and in their sense of place as it relates to their localized, social
            and ecological environments.
              The consideration of an inclusive, ecological framework for science education
            responds to the critique of mainstream curriculum by providing for issues-based
            and  place-based  pedagogies,  while  allowing  teachers  to  interpret  curriculum  in
            ways that refocus learning “on” and “in” communities. Teaching within an ecological
            framework focuses energies on the importance of quality of life within communities
            while assisting students in the development of a sense of place within them. While
            Semken and Brandt (and others) have made arguments for place-based learning, I
            have attempted to take this view further by describing the need for critical and
   332   333   334   335   336   337   338   339   340   341   342