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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 12, Issue 1,
Foreword (Jun., 2011) Dana L. ZEIDLER Global sustainability and public understanding of science: The role of socioscientific issues in the international community
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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 12, Issue 1,
Foreword (Jun., 2011) Dana L. ZEIDLER Global sustainability and public understanding of science: The role of socioscientific issues in the international community
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Transformative Science Education: One Global Community
Both identity and agency entail the ability to engage in reflective thought and apply one’s awareness of epistemic schemes to new contexts. It seems reasonable then, to use the construct of agency to foster responsible scientific thinking, and ultimately the development of character. Doing so is transformative in that it allows freedom of thought and the liberating power to engage in and be part of a wider network of niches in the social and natural environment.
As we strive to promote functional scientific literacy characterized by reflective judgment, the formation of conscience and the development of responsible scientific thinking that they together comprise, we find that the formation of character becomes a necessary component to foster responsible agency in the global science education community. This, to my way of thinking, is a fundamental precondition for any notion of global sustainability.
There is more work to be done and there are more questions to consider. International research in science education offers the opportunity to undertake to flesh out and explore these areas from multiple perspectives. These are, indeed, exciting times in science education! How fortunate we are to share this temporal cross section with one another! Let us continue moving forward to become one global community of science educators and researchers.
Copyright (C) 2011 HKIEd APFSLT. Volume 12, Issue 1, Foreword (Jun., 2011). All Rights Reserved.
