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Science Education: Past Crises, Potential Futures

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Uncertainty in Teacher Education Futures
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Abstract

This chapter examines science education futures to explore the ways in which a specific discipline area seeks to shape its future(s). It first outlines some underlying challenges in present and past science education and describes the way in which experts have proposed ideal or better ways to go about science education. The work reported here draws on data from Australia but is located in an international context. The chapter describes an extended research and consultation process undertaken to explore alternative science education futures with experts. A series of education futures are described ranging from relatively radical to relatively conservative forms of science education and an attempt to come to consensus on a science education futureĀ is elaborated. The chapter concludes with discussion of the implications of the work for teacher education and for education futures research.

This chapter is adapted from: Aubusson, P., Panizzon, D., & Corrigan, D. (2016). Science education futures: ā€˜Great potential. Could do better. Needs to try harderā€™, Research in Science Education, 46(2), 203ā€“221.

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Schuck, S., Aubusson, P., Burden, K., Brindley, S. (2018). Science Education: Past Crises, Potential Futures. In: Uncertainty in Teacher Education Futures. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8246-7_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-8246-7_12

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