Socio-scientific Issues in the Classroom

This project is an edited volume that focuses on science teaching, learning and research in the context of socio-scientific issues (SSI). The book features chapters that describe SSI-based interventions situated in classrooms. The book brings together a diverse group of authors working in various classroom settings using different kinds of SSI, but all of the chapters share a focus on using SSI to achieve science education goals. All of the chapters feature a research component; however, authors will discuss elements of their work that often fail to be fully represented in journal articles. §The nine research projects featured in the book were conducted in eight different countries across four continents (Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America). The projects feature various socio-scientific issues ranging from global climate change to local environmental issues; from modern medical issues to genetic technologies. The research conducted in these projects explores several different issues of interest to the science education community. The research examines student learning of science content, reasoning, decision-making, argumentation, nature of science understandings, and ethical awareness.