Teaching, Learning and Evaluation in Teacher Training on STS education in the context of the XXI century

Abstract

^{This paper raises the perennial educational issues of teaching, learning and evaluation (of both teaching and learning) from the framework of teacher training in STS education in the context of the XXI century. Teaching and learning are two related concepts, yet not identical, as teaching is an activity which intends to make someone learn something. These issues are addressed through the following scheme: historical evolution of STS movement, teaching, learning, assessment and teacher training in STS. The evolution of the STS movement has illuminated a number of new concepts that today dominate the international literature (scientific and technological literacy, nature of science and technology, socio- scientific issues, etc.), which provide the contextualization of the XXI century where the major experiences about teaching, learning and teacher education presented here arise. The specific requirements for teaching and learning STS issues and the evaluation of achievements are presented; the three questions are so closely linked that are only separated as a matter of their presentation. Then teaching skills and pedagogical content knowledge are presented as the cornerstones for STS teacher training, since teacher training is firstly education (as developed by teacher trainers), which should become learning for trainee teachers and that both teaching and learning are evaluable. Finally, some questions and future challenges for STS teacher training are raised, around the teacher’s to be taught high-level cognitive skills, which the research on teaching and learning STS issues points out to be key to overcome the repeated difficulties encountered in student learning and teacher training.}