Your Name and Title: Marianne Juntunen, Ph. D. in Chemistry Education
School or Organization Name: Luma-centre Finland, University of Helsinki
Co-Presenter Name(s): -
Area of the World from Which You Will Present: education for sustainable development
Language in Which You Will Present: English
Target Audience(s): science teachers and classroom teachers
Short Session Description (one line):
Recently novel interdisciplinary science teaching materials been published in Finland. The materials are related to education for sustainable development. They practical and offer hands-on tools for science teachers and their students. The approaches are based on national curriculums, doctoral thesis of Juntunen (2015) and new educational research.There are three types of novel free resources discussed in this presentation: 1) A virtual book ”Sustainable Development in Science Education”, 2) A Youtube-video series called RootEd, and 3) Teacher-guides for RootEd-videos.
Full Session Description (as long as you would like):
Free research-based educational material from Finland
Mrs. Marianne Juntunen, Science Teacher (Ph.D.) and Chemical Engineer (M.Sc), Awarded for science teacher skills in Finland 2016, Doctor in Philosophy in Chemistry Education, LUMA-centre Finland, University of Helsinki
Recently novel interdisciplinary science teaching materials been published in Finland. The materials are related to education for sustainable development. They practical and offer hands-on tools for science teachers and their students. The approaches are based on national curriculums, doctoral thesis of Juntunen (2015) and new educational research.
There are three types of novel free resources discussed in this presentation: 1) A virtual book ”Sustainable Development in Science Education”, 2) A Youtube-video series called RootEd, and 3) Teacher-guides for RootEd-videos.
The virtual book (Juntunen, 2017) helps science and classroom teachers to plan their teaching from the perspective of sustainable development. The book supports teachers in integrating chemistry and mathematics into multidisciplinary topics. The book gives practical ideas for the teaching activities in elementary and upper-secondary school level. The theory and most of the ideas for inquiry-based activities are from the doctoral dissertation ”Holistic and Inquiry-based Education for Sustainable Development in Chemistry” by Juntunen (2015).
The Youtube-video series offer an insight to the ten science topics at a level of a upper-secondary school student. The videos discuss the seven wicked problems that presently face our planet: what is a wicked problem in general, chemicalization, microplastics, death of corals and ocean acidification, energy politics, decrease of soil humus, and aerosols. In the end of the videos, novel student-centred studying ideas are offered about how to investigate and possibly solve the issues. The first of the videos will be published in November 2017.
Teacher-guides for RootEd videos support the teachers before and after showing the videos in a classroom. They involve ideas how to playfully introduce the wicked topics and what kind of homework activities could be given for the students.
The wicked challenges as well as the solutions are interdisciplinary, widespread and do not have simple solutions. In fact, often a widcked problem is a problem that no one knows exactly how to solve, as each “solution” to the problem causes new problems. Still, rapid and precise actions are needed. If nothing is done, a wicked problem will just become a bigger problem. Wicked problems are found all around us. For instance, using plastics and climate change are wicked problems.
Our materialistic standard of living relies mainly on fossil-based resources. At the same time we cause rapid changes in ecosystems on Earth. Thus, the goal of these resources is to promote sustainable development, student-centeredness and to extend the inspiring action- and research-based teaching for all. The initiatives are funded by the Finnish Ministry of the Environment and the grants from Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation and Magnus Ehrnrooth Foundation.
References
Juntunen, M. (2015). Dissertation: Holistic and Inquiry-Based Education for Sustainable Development in Chemistry. University of Helsinki. https://helda.helsinki.fi/handle/10138/154531
Juntunen, M. (2017). Free book for chemistry teachers (2017). Sustainable Development in Science Education (translations of Spanish and Chinese in process). http://www.luma.fi/en/news/2017/09/04/new-practical-guide-available-sustainable-development-in-science-education/
More reading:
Juntunen, M. & Aksela, M. (2014). Education for sustainable development in chemistry - challenges, possibilities and pedagogical models in Finland and elsewhere. Chemistry Education Research and Practice. 15 (4), s.488-500.
Websites / URLs Associated with Your Session: http://www.luma.fi/en/news/2017/09/04/new-practical-guide-available-sustainable-development-in-science-education/
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