Understanding food issues in socioscientific argumentation: A case study of primary science classrooms in China

C. Liao; G. Liao

Understanding food issues in socioscientific argumentation: A case study of primary science classrooms in China

In: EurSafe2024 Proceedings

Authors:

C. Liao

C. Liao Institute for Science, Technology and Society, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, P.R. China

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G. Liao

G. Liao Institute for Science, Technology and Society, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, P.R. China

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Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 363–369

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004715509_059

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Dar Hadith al Hassania

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Agricultural and food issues need broader and deeper understanding from an ethical perspective concerning societal change and the application of technology. Meanwhile, although early-year education is seen as an important stage in forming one’s lifelong sense of morality and responsibility, it is hard for the educational system to incorporate ethics in primary science classroom, especially when knowledge delivery and educational assessment are heavily emphasised in China. To explore primary students’ perception and reasoning on food issues and thus effective ways to teach ethics, we introduce a food and health-based Socioscientific Issues (SSI) teaching approach with the controversial topic titled Does technology make our food healthier? We conducted the SSI teaching in a fifth-grade science classroom throughout the autumn semester in an urban, public primary school in Guangzhou, China in 2022. Data was collected using group discussions, argumentation forms and interviews with students during and after classes and was then quantitatively and qualitatively analysed using QSR NVIVO 12. We found that, compared to standard teaching, in SSI classrooms, students effectively obtained diversified and logical understanding of food issues by: (1) practicing various and higher-level informal reasoning modalities in expressing views; (2) linking textbook content and their own life experience to form arguments; and (3) incorporating evidence and arguing against rebuttals to defend their viewpoints. These findings imply that incorporating food ethics into primary science classroom by encouraging students’ discussion on food dilemma is possible. Furthermore, compared to traditional content-based curricula, SSI teaching allows students to understand food issues in a logical, critical and sensible manner.

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EurSafe2024 Proceedings

Back to the future - Sustainable innovations for ethical food production and consumption

E-Book ISBN:: 9789004715509

Publisher:: Wageningen Academic

Print Publication Date:: 03 Sep 2024

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- Life Sciences
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Understanding food issues in socioscientific argumentation: A case study of primary science classrooms in China

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EurSafe2024 Proceedings

Back to the future - Sustainable innovations for ethical food production and consumption

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