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of individuals and the society more broadly, and therefore they have inherent moral
and ethical components (Sadler 2011; Ratcliffe and Grace 2003). To be able to deal
with these types of issues, students have to know how to recognise and interpret
data, understand how different social factors can have different effects and understand that stakeholders often have diverging opinions (Sadler 2004). Examples of
socio-scientific issues concerning environmental education are the deployment of
alternative energy resources, the environmental effects caused by the production of
socially useful materials or the climate effects as a result of increased carbon dioxide emissions.
Through socio-scientific issues, the approach of SSIBL introduces the socioinquiry at school. According to Levinson (2018, p.31), this is core to this approach:
‘Inquiry means to ask questions and seek insights into problems that intrigue us.
These questions can be broad but also focused. They can arise from curiosity about
natural phenomena, or be more socially-oriented. What’s inside bubbles? Do birds
sleep? Is chocolate bad for you? Is cycling to school really healthier than going by
car? Are new technologies all they claim to be? SSIBL is therefore different from
regular forms of scientific inquiry in schools because it is based on scientific methods and social considerations’. The core idea of citizenship education in SSIBL is
to participate critically in taking action. With this approach, students can argue a
point with personal commitment, using evidence and reason and listen carefully and
considerately to what others have to say. The approach promotes respect for the
views of others and to have an open mind; if a fellow student advances a better argument, one can judge it on its merits (Levinson et al. 2012).
Teaching SSIBL has three main stages: authentic questions (Ask), exploration
(Find out) and action (Act). A classroom activity could start with raising meaningful
and authentic questions (Ask) about socio-scientific issues (see Fig. 13.1, retrieved
from Levinson et al. (2017); Amos et al. in press). To explore these questions, social
and scientific inquiry is used (Find out). Finally, students are stimulated to form
opinions and formulate solutions (Act). However, this model does not necessarily
have to be followed sequentially. For example, ‘Ask’ might arise from an investigation to ‘Find out’.
The three main stages of SSIBL (Ask, Find out, Act) can be introduced in classroom settings with the help of educational phases that have been implemented and
evaluated in teacher professional development sessions and lesson designs, with the
aim of critical and democratic citizenship in science education (Knippels and van
Harskamp 2018):
1. Introduction of dilemma: connect to student’s daily life, interest
2. Initial opinion-forming (individually or in small groups)
3. Raise questions: ‘need to know’ (e.g. content related, social and/or personal
questions)
4. Inquiry: students answering the questions raised through social, personal and
scientific inquiry
5. Dialogue: value communication and clarification
6. Decision-making: formulate solutions that help to enact change
N. Gericke et al.
of individuals and the society more broadly, and therefore they have inherent moral
and ethical components (Sadler 2011; Ratcliffe and Grace 2003). To be able to deal
with these types of issues, students have to know how to recognise and interpret
data, understand how different social factors can have different effects and understand that stakeholders often have diverging opinions (Sadler 2004). Examples of
socio-scientific issues concerning environmental education are the deployment of
alternative energy resources, the environmental effects caused by the production of
socially useful materials or the climate effects as a result of increased carbon dioxide emissions.
Through socio-scientific issues, the approach of SSIBL introduces the socioinquiry at school. According to Levinson (2018, p.31), this is core to this approach:
‘Inquiry means to ask questions and seek insights into problems that intrigue us.
These questions can be broad but also focused. They can arise from curiosity about
natural phenomena, or be more socially-oriented. What’s inside bubbles? Do birds
sleep? Is chocolate bad for you? Is cycling to school really healthier than going by
car? Are new technologies all they claim to be? SSIBL is therefore different from
regular forms of scientific inquiry in schools because it is based on scientific methods and social considerations’. The core idea of citizenship education in SSIBL is
to participate critically in taking action. With this approach, students can argue a
point with personal commitment, using evidence and reason and listen carefully and
considerately to what others have to say. The approach promotes respect for the
views of others and to have an open mind; if a fellow student advances a better argument, one can judge it on its merits (Levinson et al. 2012).
Teaching SSIBL has three main stages: authentic questions (Ask), exploration
(Find out) and action (Act). A classroom activity could start with raising meaningful
and authentic questions (Ask) about socio-scientific issues (see Fig. 13.1, retrieved
from Levinson et al. (2017); Amos et al. in press). To explore these questions, social
and scientific inquiry is used (Find out). Finally, students are stimulated to form
opinions and formulate solutions (Act). However, this model does not necessarily
have to be followed sequentially. For example, ‘Ask’ might arise from an investigation to ‘Find out’.
The three main stages of SSIBL (Ask, Find out, Act) can be introduced in classroom settings with the help of educational phases that have been implemented and
evaluated in teacher professional development sessions and lesson designs, with the
aim of critical and democratic citizenship in science education (Knippels and van
Harskamp 2018):
1. Introduction of dilemma: connect to student’s daily life, interest
2. Initial opinion-forming (individually or in small groups)
3. Raise questions: ‘need to know’ (e.g. content related, social and/or personal
questions)
4. Inquiry: students answering the questions raised through social, personal and
scientific inquiry
5. Dialogue: value communication and clarification
6. Decision-making: formulate solutions that help to enact change
N. Gericke et al.