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Controversial issues, implications and applications What do the terms values, ethics and controversial issues mean within the scope of science education? How might teaching controversial issues be approached? Where can I find support to help teach controversial issues?

KS3 – Key concepts (past) 1.2 Applications and implications of science a.Exploring how the creative application of scientific ideas can bring about technological development and consequent changes in the way people think and behave. b.Examining the ethical and moral implications of using and applying science. 1.3 Cultural understanding a) Recognising that modern science has its roots in many different societies and cultures, and draws on a variety of valid approaches to scientific practice.

KS4 -How Science Works (past) Applications and implications of science 4) Students should be taught: a. about the use of contemporary scientific and technological developments and their benefits, drawbacks and risks b. to consider how and why decisions about science and technology are made, including those that raise ethical issues, and about the social, economic and environmental effects of such decisions c. how uncertainties in scientific knowledge and scientific ideas change over time and about the role of the scientific community in validating these changes.

KS4 – Thinking Scientifically The development of scientific thinking the ways in which scientific methods and theories develop over time using a variety of concepts and models to develop scientific explanations and understanding appreciating the power and limitations of science and considering ethical issues which may arise explaining everyday and technological applications of science; evaluating associated personal, social, economic and environmental implications; and making decisions based on the evaluation of evidence and arguments evaluating risks both in practical science and the wider societal context, including perception of risk recognising the importance of peer review of results and of communication of results to a range of audiences.

What does it mean to have a value?

What might guide values within the science classroom?

What does ethics mean?

Bacon/Popperian or Kuhnian? Does the approach to the KS3 concepts and How Science Works follow the view of Bacon’s philosophy or Kuhn’s?

Bacon/Popperian or Kuhnian? Does the approach to the KS3 concepts and How Science Works follow the view of Bacon/Popper’s philosophy or Kuhn’s? Help: Bacon and Popper’s view is that science is rational and so does not incorporate values. Science is neutral and therefore what matters is only whether or not it is used or abused. Disagreements are only a matter of evidence. (Science as rationalist) Kuhn’s view is that science itself incorporates values and requires emotional commitment. The knowledge produced has some relationship with the person producing it. Hence disagreements can stem in part from the different positions of scientist as well as evidence. (Science as a social activity) Who scientists work for could influence their results. The science that gets done is the science that is funded.

What is a controversial issue?

… an issue about which there is no one fixed or universally held point of view. Such issues are those which commonly divide society and for which significant groups offer conflicting explanations and solutions (Crick, 1998: 56).

The world is just a socially constructed ‘text’ about which you can say just about anything you want, provided you say it murkily enough Wheen (2004) cited in Wellington (2004: 35) AudioAudio – The Guardian

Ban ‘indoctrination’ and focus on the evidence, campaigners urge New laws are needed in the UK to crack down on the teaching of creationism as an alternative to evolution in private faith schools, the president of the Association for Science Education (ASE) has warned.

Ecological Footprints Energy and resource usage is unevenly distributed around the world – some countries, and the people in them, are greedy. This greed is not only unfair, it is also unsustainable. How might a ‘science view’ be positioned?

View of science embedded in the materials What view of science is embedded in the materials you have looked at? Do they make visible the position of the scientist, who they work for, if they might make more money from a certain outcome? That the scientist is emotionally involved?

Resources Nuffield produced a good resources which contains lesson plans and resources on the topic of BioFuel SciberBrain is an event for year 9 or 10 pupils which address controversial issues with a scientific component. Bioethics Education Project Physics and Ethics Education Project RSPCA Wellcome trust: Sanger institute

References/ further reading: Crick, B. (1998) Education for citizenship and the teaching of democracy in schools. London, UK: qualifications and Curriculum Authority. Levinson, R. (2006) Towards a theoretical framework for teaching controversial socio-scientific issues. International Journal of Science Education 28 (10), Oulton, C., Dillon, J. & Grace, M. (2004) Reconceptualizing the teaching of controversial issues. International Journal of Science Education 26(4), Ratcliffe, M. & Reiss, M. (2006) Values and ethics in science education, in Wood-Robinson, V. (Ed.) ASE guide to Secondary Science Education. Hartfield: ASE, pp Wellington, J.J. (1986) Controversial issues in the curriculum. Oxford: Blackwell Reiss, M.J. (2014) Changing one’s mind over evolution. In Berry, R.J. (Ed.) Christians and Evolution: Christian Scholars Change Their Mind, Monarch, Oxford, pp