Sustainability Issues in Lower Secondary Science Education: A Socioscientific, Inquiry-Based Approach

Environmental Citizenship (EC) has the potential to mitigate current unsustainable processes. However, science teachers experience a lack of suitable teaching approaches for implementing EC in classroom practice, thus preventing students from developing the necessary competences for EC. Socioscientific Inquiry-Based Learning (SSIBL) has the potential to promote the key competences necessary for EC. However, SSIBL has not been extensively tested in classroom practice. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore SSIBL’s potential for developing Environmental Citizenship in lower secondary students. In order to reach this aim, a Lesson Study (LS) with six science teachers and three educational researchers was carried out. A lesson module about the mining of elements for smartphones was developed and tested in two classes (average age 14.6). Audio recordings of the lessons, of student interviews, of development and reflection discussions with the teachers, and written educational materials were collected. Results show that the module enables students to appreciate the complexity of the issue by using multiple perspectives. Opinion forming and decision making are stimulated too, but students struggle to use findings from their inquiry to develop solutions. Concluding, SSIBL has potential to promote aspects of EC in classroom practice.