Burgerschapsvorming, duurzaamheid en natuurwetenschappelijk onderwijs

Abstract

Citizenship, sustainability and science education. Since 2005, Dutch schools are required to include citizenship education in their curriculum. Science education can contribute to citizenship education via discussing socioscientific issues like genetic testing. In this article, the potential of science education for citizenship is analysed by comparing discourses from three different sources: science education, citizenship education and education for sustainable development. These discourses have common elements but offer also different perspectives. Combining these differences generates a set of criteria that can be used for designing content and pedagogy of science education directed to citizenship. These include attention for the way in which scientific knowledge is produced and used by different stakeholders, dealing with risk and uncertainty, value communication and reflection on the personal possibilities to act in society.