Spatial and social relevance perceptions by pre-service teachers of learning about oil palm management as a local or nonlocal socioscientific issue
IntroductionPre-service teachers (PST)' perceived relevance of learning about environmental socioscientific issues (SSI) can be an indicator for their motivation to act as change agents. Until now, science education (research) has often addressed the relevance for learning about SSI insufficien...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Education |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1421716/full |
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| author | Finn Kristen Matthiesen Gina Nolte Finn Rehling I Gede Arjana Lola Utama Sitompul Upik Yelianti Susanne Bögeholz Susanne Bögeholz |
| author_facet | Finn Kristen Matthiesen Gina Nolte Finn Rehling I Gede Arjana Lola Utama Sitompul Upik Yelianti Susanne Bögeholz Susanne Bögeholz |
| author_sort | Finn Kristen Matthiesen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionPre-service teachers (PST)' perceived relevance of learning about environmental socioscientific issues (SSI) can be an indicator for their motivation to act as change agents. Until now, science education (research) has often addressed the relevance for learning about SSI insufficiently differentiated regarding spatial and social dimensions. However, theoretical frameworks suggest that such differentiation enhances meaningful teaching and learning. This study investigated how local, national, and global subdimensions of spatial relevance as well as individual, societal, and professional subdimensions of social relevance influence PST' relevance perceptions of learning about SSI. Additionally, we examined how relevance perceptions vary depending on whether the SSI is local or nonlocal to PST. We specifically investigated Indonesian PST' relevance perceptions of learning about oil palm management (OPM), a local SSI for PST of one university and a nonlocal SSI for PST of two other universities.MethodsThe PST participated in a 5-week socioscientific inquiry-based educational unit on OPM in curricular courses (N = 111). We followed a mixed-method approach, employing measurements of utility value. Utility value is a specific construct of perceived relevance, which refers to the usefulness of learning about objects for a person's life, profession, and society. Quantitatively, we conducted pretest-posttest-follow-up surveys on PST' perceived utility value for learning about OPM over time. Qualitatively, we analyzed responses to a utility value reflection task that was integrated into the unit.ResultsOverall, the unit increased PST' utility value over time. Local PST perceived lower utility value for learning about OPM than nonlocal PST. In the task responses, local PST referred more to the local subdimension, whereas nonlocal PST referred more to the national subdimension. Nonlocal PST' societal and professional utility value increased stronger over time compared to local PST.DiscussionWe discuss potential reasons for local PST' lower relevance perceptions, e.g., personal experiences and skepticism through local embeddedness. Our findings on relevance perceptions among local and nonlocal PST underscore the importance of spatial- and social-sensitive SSI education. We point out practical implications for promoting relevance perceptions considering local and nonlocal PST. Moreover, we suggest research directions for more differentiated relevance research in science education. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ab7497090d3a43099992db8d1b1f1680 |
| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
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| series | Frontiers in Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-ab7497090d3a43099992db8d1b1f16802025-01-27T06:40:45ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Education2504-284X2025-01-01910.3389/feduc.2024.14217161421716Spatial and social relevance perceptions by pre-service teachers of learning about oil palm management as a local or nonlocal socioscientific issueFinn Kristen Matthiesen0Gina Nolte1Finn Rehling2I Gede Arjana3Lola Utama Sitompul4Upik Yelianti5Susanne Bögeholz6Susanne Bögeholz7Biology Education, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, GermanyBiology Education, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, GermanyChair of Nature Conservation and Landscape Ecology, Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, GermanyFaculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Ganesha University of Education, Singaraja, IndonesiaFaculty of Law and Social Sciences, Ganesha University of Education, Singaraja, IndonesiaFaculty of Teacher Training and Education, University of Jambi, Jambi, IndonesiaBiology Education, Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, GermanyCampus Centre of Biodiversity and Sustainable Land Use, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, GermanyIntroductionPre-service teachers (PST)' perceived relevance of learning about environmental socioscientific issues (SSI) can be an indicator for their motivation to act as change agents. Until now, science education (research) has often addressed the relevance for learning about SSI insufficiently differentiated regarding spatial and social dimensions. However, theoretical frameworks suggest that such differentiation enhances meaningful teaching and learning. This study investigated how local, national, and global subdimensions of spatial relevance as well as individual, societal, and professional subdimensions of social relevance influence PST' relevance perceptions of learning about SSI. Additionally, we examined how relevance perceptions vary depending on whether the SSI is local or nonlocal to PST. We specifically investigated Indonesian PST' relevance perceptions of learning about oil palm management (OPM), a local SSI for PST of one university and a nonlocal SSI for PST of two other universities.MethodsThe PST participated in a 5-week socioscientific inquiry-based educational unit on OPM in curricular courses (N = 111). We followed a mixed-method approach, employing measurements of utility value. Utility value is a specific construct of perceived relevance, which refers to the usefulness of learning about objects for a person's life, profession, and society. Quantitatively, we conducted pretest-posttest-follow-up surveys on PST' perceived utility value for learning about OPM over time. Qualitatively, we analyzed responses to a utility value reflection task that was integrated into the unit.ResultsOverall, the unit increased PST' utility value over time. Local PST perceived lower utility value for learning about OPM than nonlocal PST. In the task responses, local PST referred more to the local subdimension, whereas nonlocal PST referred more to the national subdimension. Nonlocal PST' societal and professional utility value increased stronger over time compared to local PST.DiscussionWe discuss potential reasons for local PST' lower relevance perceptions, e.g., personal experiences and skepticism through local embeddedness. Our findings on relevance perceptions among local and nonlocal PST underscore the importance of spatial- and social-sensitive SSI education. We point out practical implications for promoting relevance perceptions considering local and nonlocal PST. Moreover, we suggest research directions for more differentiated relevance research in science education.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1421716/fullrelevanceutility valuesocioscientific issueteacher educationIndonesiasustainable development |
| spellingShingle | Finn Kristen Matthiesen Gina Nolte Finn Rehling I Gede Arjana Lola Utama Sitompul Upik Yelianti Susanne Bögeholz Susanne Bögeholz Spatial and social relevance perceptions by pre-service teachers of learning about oil palm management as a local or nonlocal socioscientific issue Frontiers in Education relevance utility value socioscientific issue teacher education Indonesia sustainable development |
| title | Spatial and social relevance perceptions by pre-service teachers of learning about oil palm management as a local or nonlocal socioscientific issue |
| title_full | Spatial and social relevance perceptions by pre-service teachers of learning about oil palm management as a local or nonlocal socioscientific issue |
| title_fullStr | Spatial and social relevance perceptions by pre-service teachers of learning about oil palm management as a local or nonlocal socioscientific issue |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatial and social relevance perceptions by pre-service teachers of learning about oil palm management as a local or nonlocal socioscientific issue |
| title_short | Spatial and social relevance perceptions by pre-service teachers of learning about oil palm management as a local or nonlocal socioscientific issue |
| title_sort | spatial and social relevance perceptions by pre service teachers of learning about oil palm management as a local or nonlocal socioscientific issue |
| topic | relevance utility value socioscientific issue teacher education Indonesia sustainable development |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2024.1421716/full |
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