Learning and teaching ecosystem behaviour in secondary education : Systems thinking and modelling in authentic practices

Abstract

This thesis describes developmental research, aiming at a useful approach for modern secondary ecology education. The research question is: What are the characteristics of a valid, feasible and effective learning and teaching strategy about ecosystem behaviour using modelling and systems thinking in authentic practices? Knowledge from and insight in complexity and dynamics of an ecosystem has societal relevance. Because of lack of such knowledge and insight, secondary students do not have the opportunity to develop ‘ecological literacy’. By making use of systems thinking and modelling, complexity and dynamics can become transparent for students who perform these activities themselves. In the Netherlands there has been a shift from transmission of knowledge towards construction of knowledge, where the teacher gets the role of a coach, more than as the transmitter of knowledge. The cultural historical approach is interested in the teacher’s role as coach as well as ‘mediator’ between students and culture. Here, learning requires a practice that invites students to participate in activities. The authenticity of the practice could provide students with motives for learning. A concept may have different meanings in different practices (or contexts). Students have to adapt this concept when they use it in another practice: re-contextualisation. For education to be effective, students should be willing and enabled to take an active role in the learning activities. The use of authentic practices will not be sufficient. The problem posing approach aims to actively involve students in the learning process. Therefore the concept-context-approach is linked with this approach. After raising modern scientific ideas of the concept ‘ecosystem’, the present situation in secondary education is investigated. Ecology education uses static models. In examination syllabus, schoolbooks and lessons there are hardly any traces of modern ecological views. Ecologists and teachers differ substantially in their views on the concept ‘ecosystem’. After determining learning aims derived from the modern concept ‘ecosystem’, design criteria are formulated for a learning and teaching strategy. Next, a selection is made of three authentic practices. The developed strategy has been tested in classroom to provide an answer to the research question. This strategy appears to be valid, in terms of introducing adequate ecosystem-related practices where dynamics and complexity are important sub-concepts, enabling students to understand ecosystem behaviour. It is feasible, in terms of the characteristics of a realistic, clear and relevant use of practices, with a transparent role for systems thinking; where there is a problem that elicits student’s ideas; and where the strategy is clear to the students. However, in terms of the characteristics of the systems character of an ecosystem, the modelling activities and the plausibility of the sequence of the practices, the strategy is not (completely) feasible. In some aspects the strategy is effective. Most students performed well on discriminating levels of organization, exploring models and getting an idea of complexity and dynamics. Most of the learning outcomes have been realised. However, three outcomes were certainly not (completely) attained, where ‘exemplify the relation between complexity, dynamics, stability and diversity’ is a very important outcome.