Using climate change as a context to teach chemistry topics in my physical science FET classrooms - a self -study

Abstract

The general realization that knowledge about Atmospheric particle activity and related phenomena has the potential to promote the understanding of Climate Change aspects as reported in (Grassian & Stone, 2015; Mahaffy, 2014; IPCC, 2013; Seinfeld & Pandis, 2006) has been fully turned into a global challenge such that some education systems elsewhere has steered towards the teaching of such phenomena, on a large scale (IPCC, 2013; Quest, 2011). Studies (Quest, 2011), commissioned by UNESCO, studies leading to the White Paper of 1995 and 2011, have called for more intense Climate Change education in South Africa. The new Curriculum Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS), (2011) apportions a diminishing focus on socially-relevant topics such as global warming and atmospheric chemistry in the Physical Sciences curriculum (Nakedi, 2017). This study focuses on my personal learning journey, as a teacher investigating their own knowledge shifts and its implications to issues of relevance in the teaching and learning of climate change aspects in Physical Sciences, in a South African school. A Self-study methodological approach is undertaken by me, the researcher (and the researched) so as to explore and trace my efforts of using Climate Change as a context to teach Chemistry topics in the South African Physical Sciences curriculum. The process is also opened up to a collaborative team of critical peers (my colleagues and research supervisor). In this study, PCK is used as a conceptual framework whilst the Learning for Teaching through Participation (LTtP) model (Nakedi 2017) which is a framework for studying teacher learning environments, is used as an analytical tool to capture my shifting perceptions as I plan and teach the topic to my learners. Since climate change is not catered for fully in the current curriculum, the strategy used was teaching it as a context in teaching the relevant chemistry topics at grades 10 and 11. In this way exploration of its possible place in the current chemistry curriculum is possible. As an outcome of these efforts, learners were generally able to express themselves fully when explaining mining and related events that eventually lead to Climate Change. They showed an ability to integrate what they have learnt in other subjects to Chemistry and come up with plausible explanations to events or phenomena surrounding climate change. Self-Study requires the use of a variety of qualitative research tools and this study employed two-staged concept mapping and construction of Concept Representations (CoRes), development of lesson plans and tasks as well as entries into a reflective journal. Drawing from socio-cultural and cognitive perspectives, the LTtP model in conjunction with PCK, offered pre-determined categories which were then used to analyse my research tools and procedures and weigh the study. The study ultimately unveils some conceptual shifts in my understanding of Climate Change phenomena, my strategic curriculum knowledge, and my knowledge of learner’s prior concepts knowledge as I planned, taught and reflected on my teaching. Results indicated some profound conceptual shifts in my understanding of climate change phenomena, my strategic curriculum knowledge and my knowledge of possible learner’s conceptual challenges, as I taught this topic.