Exploring Resources and Reasoning Practices in Socioscientific System Modeling for Justice-Centered Science Education.

Integrating science education with social justice is vital for preparing students to critically address significant societal issues like climate change and pandemics. This study examines the effectiveness of socioscientific system modeling as a tool within Justice-Centered Science Pedagogy (JCSP) to enhance middle school students' understanding of social justice science issues. It focuses on how system modeling can scaffold students' reasoning about complex social systems, informed by their lived experiences, cultural backgrounds, and social identities.

Algorithmic Explanations: an Unplugged Instructional Approach to Integrate Science and Computational Thinking.

Computing has become essential in modern-day problem-solving, making computational literacy necessary for practicing scientists and engineers. However, K-12 science education has not reflected this computational shift. Integrating computational thinking (CT) into core science courses is an avenue that can build computational literacies in all students.

Student interest, concerns, and information-seeking behaviors related to COVID-19.

COVID-19 creates an opportunity for science classrooms to relate content about viruses to students' personal experiences with the pandemic. Previous researchers have shown that students are interested in crisis situations like disease outbreaks; however, they primarily acquire information about these events through internet sources which are often biased. We argue that it is important to understand student interest, concerns, and information-seeking behaviors related to COVID-19 to support science classroom learning and engagement about the virus and other potential outbreaks.

Developing and Using Multiple Models to Promote Scientific Literacy in the Context of Socio-Scientific Issues.

Learning science in the context of socio-scientific issues (SSI) can promote scientific literacy that links science to everyday life and society. In this position paper, we argue that developing and using multiple models equip students with the appropriate knowledge and skills needed to deal with complex issues. We draw upon literature from science education and philosophy of science and advance our theoretical argument about why it is critical for students to develop and use multiple models as part of their science learning experiences in general, and how the practice benefits students in the context of SSI in particular.

Moral sensitivity and its contribution to the resolution of socio-scientific issues.

This study explores models of how people perceive moral aspects of socio-scientific issues. Thirty college students participated in interviews during which they discussed their reactions to and resolutions of two genetic engineering issues. The interview data were analyzed qualitatively to produce an emergent taxonomy of moral concerns recognized by the participant.