Analysis of Socioscientific Issues in Climate Action

Code:

DE131

Acronym:

AQSCAC

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
CNAEF	Educational Sciences

Instance: 2021/2022 - 1S (since 13-09-2021 to 17-12-2021)

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Education Sciences
Course/CS Responsible:	Master Degree in Educational Sciences

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MCED	10	Official Curricular Structure	1	-	6	49	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

The curricular unit aims to provide students with skills to understand the interrelationships between the various levels (local, regional, global) and components (environmental, economic, social, cultural and political) of climate emergency, action in favour of sustainability and its implications in the field of education. Additionally, it intends to promote competencies for a critical assessment of the socio-scientific issues involved in current policies and practices that deal with climate change and sustainability.

Objectives:

- To deepen key concepts and strategies in the field of climate action and education.

- To problematize the multiplicity and complexity of dimensions involved in socio-scientific issues of climate action.

- To explore methodologies used to analyze socio-scientific issues in educational contexts.

- To analyze socio-scientific issues in climate action.

Learning outcomes and competences

Learning outcomes:

- To know the various dimensions involved in socio-scientific issues in the field of climate action and for sustainability.

- To produce critical analyzes based on them.


Competencies:

- To identify the “big” scientific ideas and practices that guide socio-scientific issues in the field of climate action and for sustainability.

- To consider and confront different perspectives on personal and social articulations in socio-scientific issues related to climate action, namely, those motivated by environmental, social, cultural, economic and political concerns.

- To mobilize and compare diverse sources of information to access, organize, evaluate and produce valid information and arguments on socio-scientific issues.

- To mobilize a theoretical-methodological framework for the analysis of socio-scientific issues in climate action or climate education practices and for sustainability.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

n.a.

Program

1. Climate action and education
1.1 Climate: causes, impacts, mitigation and adaptation to climate change,
1.2 Climate action: education, communication, participation and activism
1.3 Climate education: intersections with environmental education and education for sustainability

2. Socio-scientific issues in Education
2.1 Socio-scientific issues, nature of science and scientific literacy
2.2 Ethics, morals, identities and economics in socio-scientific issues
2.3 Educators and educational contexts in addressing socio-scientific issues

3. Theoretical and methodological frameworks for the analysis of socio-scientific issues
3.1 Critical and creative thinking
3.2 Critical perspectives and dialogical perspectives
3.3 Frameworks for addressing socio-scientific issues in education

4. Exercises of analysis of socio-scientific issues in climate action and…
4.1… fossil fuels
4.2… consumption and food
4.3… biodiversity
4.4… population growth and inequalities

Mandatory literature

Dana L. Zeidler, Mark H. Newton; Using a Socioscientific Issues Framework for Climate Change Education: An Ecojustice Approach , Routledge, 2017
Global Warming of 1.5°C. An IPCC Special Report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change...; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, 2018
Dália Melissa Conrado, Nei Nunes-Neto ; Questões sociocientíficas: fundamentos, propostas de ensino e perspectivas para ações sociopolíticas, EDUFBA, 2018
Pedro Reis ; Da discussão à ação sociopolítica sobre controvérsias sócio-científicas: uma questão de cidadania, Ensino de Ciências e Tecnologia em Revista, 2013
Ralph Levinson; Towards a Theoretical Framework for Teaching Controversial Socio‐scientific Issues, International Journal of Science Education, 2006

Comments from the literature

Complementary bibliography will be suggested and provided depending on the tasks and analytical exercises to be developed by the students.

Teaching methods and learning activities

Lecture / Presentation by the teachers(s)
Debates
Documentary search and analysis
Individual work
Group work
Presentation and discussion of texts and works by students

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Participação presencial	20,00
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	30,00
Trabalho escrito	50,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	9,00
Estudo autónomo	51,00
Frequência das aulas	33,00
Trabalho de investigação	47,00
Trabalho escrito	22,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

The student completes the frequency of the curricular unit if, having been regularly enrolled, he / she does not exceed the limit number of absences corresponding to 25% of the planned classes.

Calculation formula of final grade

Type of evaluation: Distributed evaluation with final exam

The assessment of students' learning will take into account the following components:
Component 1 - Participation in the tasks proposed in the face-to-face sessions;
Component 2 - Presentation/discussion of group work on the analysis of a socio-scientific issue in the context of climate action;
Component 3 - Individual essay to analyze a socio-scientific issue in the context of climate action;

The classification of the curricular unit is expressed on a scale from 0 to 20 and will take into account a weighting of 20% in component 1 (participation), 30% in component 2 (group work) and 50% in component 3 (individual essay).

Examinations or Special Assignments

n.a.

Internship work/project

n.a.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Students, in situations foreseen by the legislation and regulations in force, who do not attend classes, may replace the evaluation in components 1 (participation) and 2 (group work) with a recommended text reading sheet and an individual essay, under conditions to be agreed with the curricular unit teachers.

Classification improvement

For the purpose of improving the final classification, without a new frequency of the curricular unit, or as a resource evaluation, students will have to deliver and defend the individual essay identified above in depth.