The Role of Moral Reasoning on Socioscientific Issues and Discourse in Science Education (Contemporary Trends and Issues in Science Education)

This book is the first in the field to directly address moral reasoning and socioscientific discourse. It provides a theoretical framework to rethink what a functional view of scientific literacy entails by examining how nature of science issues, classroom discourse issues, cultural issues, and science-technology-society-environment case-based issues contribute to developing habits of mind about socioscientific content. The philosophical, psychological and pedagogical considerations underpinning the role of moral reasoning and the status of socioscientific issues in science education have been succinctly expressed and elucidated in this book. Science teachers, teacher educators, researchers, curriculum designers, politicians, and organizations interested in educational and political reform should find this volume very relevant and important for their missions. The extensive coverage of topics makes this book excellent for both theoretical and practical purposes. I remember moving into my graduate student office at Syracuse University in 1979 as if it was yesterday.