Page 57 - Cultural Studies of Science Education

4 Toward Awakening Consciousness: A Response to EcoJustice Education 33

they could have made reference to non-Euclidean geometry, which attests to multiple
equally valid geometries, or they could have cited Kurt Godel’s Incompleteness
Theorem of the 1930s, which demonstrates that even mathematical proofs are not
absolutely attainable. In physics they might have noted Quantum Theory, particu-
larly, Werner Heisenberg’s 1927 theory of indeterminacy, also called the
Uncertainty Principle. They could also have referred to Nonlinear Dynamics and
Complexity Theory, more popularly known as Chaos Theory. From the latter we
now know that the most common systems in nature are nonlinear systems, that is,
not in equilibrium. Such systems are inherently unstable and thus limit
predictability.
The point is that scientists themselves have recognized since the last century that
while western science may be foremost among ways to comprehend our universe,
it is not the only way, it is not infallible, and it will always leave us with some
uncertainty. This is important for students to know, since the impression that is
conveyed by the massive science textbooks used in many schools is that science is
a done deal and there is little left to be “discovered.” These textbooks, by the way,
typically treat the nature of science in the introductory chapter and usually promote
the notion of a single “scientific method,” which is not surprising since few scien-
tists have studied the philosophy of science and the assumptions underlying their
own research (Glasson and Bentley 2000).

Consistency with Other Trends in Science Education

For several decades now, much attention has been given in the field of science
education to inductive teaching methods, usually called inquiry teaching. Inquiry
teaching is not a new teaching method as inductivist approaches can be traced back
to Dewey and even to even earlier object teaching. An inquiry approach is strongly
promoted in the two major national science curriculum reform documents (National
Research Council [NRC] 1996, and the American Association for the Advancement
of Science [AAAS] 1993).
Likewise, for decades, science educators have been discussing methods of inter-
disciplinary teaching and the use of an “S–T–S” (science–technology–society)
approach in teaching (Yager 1993). Ecojustice education is compatible with all of
these movements.
Further, Martusewicz, Lupinacci, and Schnakenberg emphasize the importance
of a curriculum that engages students in exploring their local environments and the
complex ecosystems that they represent. In this regard, they give a nod to the more
recent movement in science education called place-based education, a movement
that also can be traced back to Dewey and even to Rousseau (Gruenewald and
Smith 2007). One of the values of place-based education is that it tends to create a
bond between the child and his/her environment (Sobel 2004). Place-based educa-
tion can be called community-connected education that taps into local people,
workplaces, and cultural institutions (Bell et al. 2009).