INTERDISCIPLINARY SYSTEMIC HOCS DEVELOPMENT – THE KEY FOR MEANINGFUL STES ORIENTED CHEMICAL EDUCATION

Abstract

The strong commitment to disciplinary strength in chemistry teaching has resulted in failing to strengthen the links between the social/behavioral sciences, and advances in the physical and biological sciences and technologies. Although science and technology may be useful in establishing what we can do, neither of them can tell us what we should do. The latter requires evaluative thinking by capable science, technology and sociologically literate, rational citizens within a continuous process of problem-solving and decision-making. Meaningful environmental education is envisioned as an interdisciplinary critical thinking-, problem solving- and decision making-oriented teaching and, consequently, higher-order cognitive skills (HOCS) learning in the science-technology-environmentsociety (STES) interface context, leading to the capacity of transfer beyond the subject(s) or discipline(s) specificity. Since the integration of research-based findings and predictions, and HOCS-oriented science (and chemistry) education is a necessary precondition for people's responsible environmental behavior and action, it is vital for our students to develop their HOCS rather than simply learn to apply algorithms to "exercise" sets. This objective should be targeted by teachers and students alike as partners in a collaborative interactive-reflective process. Examples of multidimensional research-based HOCS promoting, STES-oriented courses, teaching strategies and, in accord assessment instruments, that have been developed and successfully implemented within on going chemistry teaching are described, and the research-based implications for future chemical and science education critically discussed. [Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. Eur.: 2000, 1, 189-200]