'We Are Not Being Taught Sustainable Citizenship!': Podcasts for Critical Science Literacy in Teacher Education

LUMA Centre Finland. University of Helsinki. A.I. Virtasen aukio 1, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. Tel: +358-50-348-0567; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: https://journals.helsinki.fi/lumat

Y

32

Scientific Literacy; Science Teachers; Preservice Teachers; Preservice Teacher Education; Critical Literacy; Sustainability; Citizenship Responsibility; Audio Equipment; Information Dissemination; Handheld Devices; Educational Technology; Electronic Publishing; Teacher Attitudes; Environment; Seismology; Natural Disasters; Foreign Countries; Educational Resources; Teaching Methods; Prior Learning; Teacher Effectiveness; Knowledge Base for Teaching; Critical Thinking; Student Development; Skill Development

2323-7112

Education on sustainability is a crucial goal that requires a transformative shift in teacher education to drive meaningful changes oriented to action. A cross-sectional study with an exploratory design investigated preservice science teachers' perceptions regarding teaching sustainable citizenship, specifically focusing on the climate crisis and earthquakes-tsunamis. The study was conducted in two Chilean universities with similar teacher preparation programs. The team designed a podcast series, which was used and evaluated by the 13 participants through action research. Three group discussions explored their perceptions of the resources, as well as the aims and challenges of teaching sustainable citizenship and the podcasts. We used Grounded Theory steps, including triangulation by the researchers to ensure reliability, to qualitatively analyse the data. The results reveal a constraint on teaching in areas where the participants lacked the necessary preparation and background knowledge as students and preservice teachers. The main challenges were related to interdisciplinarity, the social dimension of socio-scientific issues and context-responsive teaching methods. The perceived aims were the development of students' critical thinking, informed positioning, and encouraging active citizen participation. Preservice teachers found the podcast series to be a valuable new epistemic and pedagogical resource that can support their efforts to teach sustainable citizenship and implement pedagogical strategies. The autonomous usage of the device triggered reflection processes, particularly regarding the human rights perspective, which unveiled the socio-political dimensions inherent in science education. It promoted personal re-positioning as active citizens and educators and empowered them to seek out and pursue the changes needed to reshape future classrooms. We discuss these findings in the context of teacher preparation and the use of educational technology in teacher education.

As Provided

2024

EJ1426921