SCIENCE EDUCATION REFORM IN THE GLOBAL AGE: SATL VISION

Ameen F. M. Fahmy*,J.J.Lagowski** * Faculty of Science, Department of Chemistry and Science Education Center,

Ain shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, EgyptE-mail: fahmy@online.com.eg

**Department of Chemistry, and Biochemistry, university of Texas at Austin TX78712.

E-mail: jjl@mail.cm.utexas.edu

Tripoli, LibyaNov. 2007

In the last ten years, we have designed, implemented, and evaluated the systemic approach to teaching and learning science (SATL)

SATL vision in the science Education reform was dictated by the globalization of the most human activities, thus the future of Science Education must reflect a flexibility to adapt to rapidly changing world needs. SATL was based on the systems analysis and theory of constructivism.

Introduction:

SATL stands on the holistic vision for phenomena where linking different facts and concepts take place into a dynamic systemic network. This reflects the relationships which settle them into the cognitive construction of the learner.

It helps learners in obtaining a deeper learning experience, improve their understanding and ability to apply learning to new situation.

SATL enhance systemic thinking, and increase enthusiasm for learning science.

We have successful experiments in using SATL not only in Chemistry but also in other basic sciences, and medicinal sciences, in pre-University, and University Levels .

As an illustration of the process, we have created unites in chemistry, physics, biology, and Environmental Sciences, based on systemics.

In this presentation various examples of systemic teaching materials will be illustrated.

SATL help students in development of their mental framework with higher – level of cognitive processes such as analysis and synthesis.

By "systemic" we mean an arrangement of concepts or issues through interacting systems in which all relationships between concepts and issues are made, clear up front, to the teachers and learners.

Why

syst

emic

app

roac

hin

teac

hing

and

lear

ning

 (SA

TL)

We are living in the era of globalization in which

we see the global Policies, Economy, Culture, Media

and Architecture..... etc. is a reality that constitute a

new world system.

Countries must hurry up to prepare generations

able to interact positively with the new

international system.

Globalization

Fig: 1a: Linear representation of concepts

concept concept concept concept

Fig: 1b: systemic representation of concepts

concept

concept

concept

concept

The world now is living in serious environmental problems in the industrial and developing countries.

This is due to the wrong human interaction in the environmental system without consciousness.

Environmental problems

Wrong interaction with our body systems

The human body is an interacting system constitute at the end the balance that happens inside this body.

In many times man behave in a wrong manner harms his health such as taking drugs.

The world is suffering the terrorism Terrorism is now represents an international

phenomenon threatening the economics and the security of the world.

Terrorism begins by thought deviation then directed to behavior.

If we looked to terrorist at any place of the world, we may find him a graduate of educational systems teaching a lot and learning a little.

The best way of fighting the international terrorism begins by reforming the existing educational systems in most of the world countries.

Linearity in Teaching Conceptsof Different Branches of Science

In chemistry there are numerous concepts that have common rotes with other basic sciences such as physics, biology, and geology for the students to cope with these concepts, they should be taught in a comprehensive way irrespective of artificial borders between basic sciences (e.g. concept of energy).

ConceptConcept In Chem.Concept

In Phys.

In Biology

ConceptConcept Concept

ConceptConcept Concept

Linear relation-ships for each branch of sciencepresented in a separate forms.

Proposed form of SATL concepts of

different branches of sciences(Fig.2)

Chem.concepts

Phys.concep

ts

Concep

tConcep

t

Biology

concepts

Concept

Concep

t

Concep

t

Concep

t

Concep

t

Concep

t

Concep

t

Concep

tConcep

t

Concep

t

Example: SATL concepts of different branches

of sciences

solar cells

SolarEnergy

Storage of solar energy in organic

and inorganic molecules “fuels”

Geothermal energy

Electric energy Heat energy

Desalinizationof sea water

Fluorescence Phosphorescence

solar heaters

absorbed by chlorophyll

in plants

may leads to

(Industrialization)

h

Photosynthesisin plant

“Storage of solar energy in sugar

molecules”

Death of animalsand plants

Nutrition foranimals and human

Combustion of fossil fuel

1 2 3 4

Vital energy in(ATP) molecules

Environmental pollution

CO2 + H2O Heat energy+

Light energyMechanical energy Electric energy

Fossilfuel 5

6

7

8

Photochem.

Petrochemicals

1) Heat energy.2) Mechanical

energy in muscle activity.

3) Electric energy in Torpedo fish

4) Bioluminescence in squid, and cuttle fish

5) Plastics.6) Fertilizers.7) Insecticides.8) Synthetic fibers.

Fig (3)

The Objectives of SystemicApproach of Teaching and

Learning Growing the ability of students global

thinking, so that the student be able to see globally any subject without missing its parts.

Growing the ability to see the relationships between things rater than things themselves.

Increasing the effectiveness of teaching and learning of science disciplines, connecting it systemically with other branches of knowledge.

Making disciplines of science attractive subjects to students instead of being repulsive to them .

Growing the ability for analysis and synthesis to reach creativity that is the most important output of a successful educational system.

Creating a new generation that is able to interact positively with environmental systems around them .

Growing the ability for the use of systemic approach in acting with any problem globally to put creative solution.

Systemic Teaching strategy

[SATLC]Fig (4):

SATL

Applied Science

Mission & visionEducational Standards & objectives

Pure Science

We started teaching of any course by Systemic diagram (SD0) that has determined the starting point of the course, and we ended the course with a final systemic diagram (SDf) and between both we crossover several Systemics (SD1, SD2,…..)

Fig (5): Systemic teaching strategy

SD0 SDf

SD2SD1Stage (1)

Stage (2)

Stage (3)

(maximum Unknown relations)

(All relations are known)(?)

(?)

(?)

(?)

(?) ()

()()

() ()

()()

()

()

()

(?)

Educational standards and objectives

Our experiments about the usefulness of SATL to learning Basic and Environmental Sciences at the pre-college level was conducted in the Cairo and Giza school districts.

PRE-COLLEGE COURSES

Our initial experiment probing the usefulness of the SATL to learning chemistry was conducted at the pre-college level in the Cairo and Giza school districts.

1- (SATL CARBOXYLIC ACIDS AND THEIR DERIVATIVES)

Nine SATL-based lessons in organic chemistry Figure (6B) taught over a two-week period were presented to a total of 270 students in the Cairo and Giza school districts; the achievement of these students was then compared with that of 159 students taught the same material using standard (linear) methods Figure (6A).

)A6(

(6 B)

The results indicate that a greater fraction of students exposed to the systemic techniques, the experimental group, achieved at a higher level than did the control group taught by conventional linear techniques.

Figure 7. Percent of students in the experimental classes who succeeded (achieved at a 50% or higher level). The bars indicate a 50% or greater achievement rate before and after the systemic intervention period.

Figure 8. Students in the control classes who succeeded (achieved at a 50% or higher level). The bars indicate a 50% or greater achievement rate before and after the

linear intervention .

The experimental group was taught by SATL-trained teachers using SATL techniques with specially created SATL materials, while the control group was taught using the conventional (linear) approach.

2- SATL of Matter and energy

Scientists agreed that the quantities of matter and energy in the world

have always remained the same from the beginning of time. They believed

in the law of the conservation of matter, which stated “that matter

might be changed into different forms of matter but never destroyed”.

A similar law stated that “energy could neither be created nor

destroyed but only transformed into other forms of energy”.

Today scientists no longer believe that there is an impassable barrier between matter and energy. Furthermore they have modified the old laws of the conservation of matter, and energy.

“Matter can be transformed into energy and energy into matter”.

All the above relations are (linear separated from each other).

The conversions of matter into energy can be illustrated in the following diagram

Electrical energy (E.E)

Chemical energy (C.E)

MatterNuclear energy(N.E)

Kinetic energy(K.E)

Potential energy(P.E)

Fig (9)

?

?

??

?

We can illustrate the above relations between concepts (Matter, E.E , K.E, P.E, C.E, N.E.) systemically in

the following systemic diagram (SD-0) which gives the maximum number of possible relations among them.

Electrical energy

(E. E).

Chemical energy

(C. E).

MatterNuclearenergy

(N. E).

Kinetic energy

(K. E).

Potential energy

(P. E).?

?

?

??

(SD-0)

? ?

??

?

Fig (10)In the above systemic diagram (SD-0) there are (10)-

unknown relations.

After study the conversion of matter into (E.E , K.E, P.E, C.E, N.E.) we can modify (SD-0) to give (SD-1).

In the above systemic diagram (SD-1) there are defined relations, and some other relations are undefined at this stage

of study.

Electrical energy

(E. E).

Chemical energy

(C. E).

MatterNuclearenergy

(N. E).

Kinetic energy

(K. E).

Potential energy

(P. E).?

?

?

??

(SD-1)Fig (11)

MovingNuclear

fission or fusion

Lifting upChemical changes

Electron move along conductor

After study the relation between chemical energy, and electrical energy we can modify the systemic (SD1) to

give the following systemic (SD2)

In the above systemic diagram (SD-2) there are defined relations, and some other

relations are undefined at this stage of study.

Electrical energy

(E. E).

Chemical energy

(C. E).

MatterNuclearenergy

(N. E).

Kinetic energy

(K. E).

Potential energy

(P. E).?

?

??

SD2 Fig (12)

MovingNuclear

fission or fusion

Lifting upChemical changes

Electron move along conductor

In voltammeters

In cells,and batteries

After the study the relations between nuclear energy, and electrical energy, electrical energy, and kinetic energy. We can

modify (SD2) to give (SD3)

In the above (SD3) the relations between (CE, and EE), (NE, and EE), and (KE, and EE) are defined.

Electrical energy

(E. E).

Chemical energy

(C. E).

MatterNuclearenergy

(N. E).

Kinetic energy

(K. E).

Potential energy

(P. E).?

?

(SD-3) Fig (13)

MovingNuclear

fission or fusion

Lifting upChemical changes

Electron move along conductor

In voltammeters

In cells,And batteries

In motor

In dynamo

Power stations

After we study the relations between (P.E, and K.E). We can modify the (SD3) to give the (SD4)

In the above systemic diagram all the relations are defined except the relation between (P.E), and (C.E). It will be

defined in the final stage of study of this part of unit.

Electrical energy

(E. E).

Chemical energy

(C. E).

MatterNuclearenergy

(N. E).

Kinetic energy

(K. E).

Potential energy

(P. E).?

(SD-4) Fig (13)

MovingNuclear

fission or fusion

Lifting upChemical changes

Electron move along conductor

In voltammeters

In cells,and batteries

In motor

In dynamo

Power stations

Moving upward

Moving downward

(pile) driver

After the study of the relation between chemical energy, and potential energy. We can modify the

(SD4), to the final (SDf), in which all the relations are defined.Electrical

energy(E. E).

Chemical energy

(C. E).

MatterNuclearenergy

(N. E).

Kinetic energy

(K. E).

Potential energy

(P. E).(SD-f)

Fig 14)

MovingNuclear

fission or fusion

Lifting upChemical changes

Electron move along conductor

In voltammeters

In cells,and batteries

In motor

In dynamo

Power stations

Moving upward

Moving downward

(pile) driverEnergy

released by chemical change

2- SATL-Dynamics of Ecosphere (Environmental Sciences)

Our initial experiment probing usefulness of the SATL to teaching and learning Ecosphere was conducted at the pre-college level in the Cairo and Giza school districts

Thirty SATL-Based lessons on Ecosphere (Fig 25) was taught over (6)-week period was presented to a total of (135) students in Cairo and Giza districts, the achievements of those students was compared with that of (103) students taught the same material using standard linear methods (Fig15).

لباألرض

Atmosphere

BiosphereLithosphere

Hydrosphere

Fig (15): Spheres of the Earth

We can illustrate the interchangeable relationships between components of the Ecosphere, “Lithosphere, Atmosphere, Hydrosphere & Biosphere” revealing the dynamics of such components and their impact on one another for the balance of nature (Fig 16).

Fig (16): Systemic of Ecosphere

HydrosphereLithosphere

Atmosphere

Biosphere

Bacteria and Microbes

Bacteria and

Microbes

Sedimentation

Fishes

Plants

Cool & Oil

Organic Rocks

Rain-ice

Water vapor Volatile particles

Weathering and erosion

Fig (17): Hydrosphere subsystemic

Atmosphere

Biosphere

Respiration and transpiration

Hydrosphere

Lithosphere

Aquatic biota

Nutrition and Decomposition

Elements cycles

Weathering

Evaporation & precipitation Erosion & sedimentation

Hydrosphere

Fig (18): Lithosphere subsystemic

Atmosphere

Biosphere

Respiration and transpiration

Lithosphere

Hydrosphere

Env. relations Nutrition & decomposition

Cycles of elements

Aquatic biota

Evaporation and precipitation

Cycles of elementsErosion & sedimentation

Lithosphere

Fig 19): Atmosphere subsystemic

Hydrosphere

Biosphere

Respiration and transpiration

Atmosphere

Lithosphere

Env. relations Nutrition &

decomposition Cycles of elements

Aquatic biota

Evaporation and

precipitation

Cycles of elements

Erosion & sedimentations Atmosphere

Biosphere

Fig (20): Biosphere subsystemic

Atmosphere

Lithosphere

Biosphere

Hydrosphere

Env. relations Nutrition & decomposition Cycles of elements

Aquatic biota

Evaporation and precipitation

Cycles of elements

Erosion & sedimentations

Respiration and transpiration

The results of experimentation indicate

that a greater fraction of students

exposed to the SATL techniques, the

experimental group, achieved at a higher

level than did the control group taught

by conventional linear techniques.

Figure 21: Percent of students in the experimental groups who succeeded (achieved at a 50% or higher level). The bars indicate a 50% or greater achievement rate before and after the systemic intervention period

0 0 0

30.4%

61.36%

100%

0

20

40

60

80

100

Eltabary Roxy "boys"

Nabawia Mosa"girls"

Gamal Abedel Naser "girls"

Fig.22: Percent of students in the control groups who succeeded (achieved at a 50% or higher level). The bars indicate a 50% or greater achievement rate before and after the systemic intervention period

0 0 012% 4.55%

17.8%

0

20

40

60

80

100

Eltabary Roxy "boys"

Nabawia Mosa"girls"

Gamal Abedel Naser "girls"

*SATL improved the students ability to view the Science from a more global perspective.

*SATL helps the students to develop their own mental framework at higher-level cognitive processes such as application, analysis, and synthesis.

*SATL increases students ability to learn subject matter in a greater context.

*SATL increases the ability of students to think globally.

CONCLUSION

Literature

(1) Fahmy, A. F. M., Lagowski, J. J., The use of Systemic Approach in Teaching and Learning for 21st Century, J pure Appl. 1999, [15th ICCE, Cairo, August 1998].

(2) Fahmy, A. F. M., Hamza, M. A., Medien, H. A. A., Hanna, W. G., Abdel-Sabour, M. : and Lagowski, J.J., From a Systemic Approach in Teaching and Learning Chemistry (SATLC) to Benign Analysis, Chinese J.Chem. Edu. 2002, 23(12),12 [17th ICCE, Beijing, August 2002].

(3) Fahmy, A. F. M., Lagowski, J. J; Systemic Reform in Chemical Education An International Perspective, J. Chem. Edu. 2003, 80 (9), 1078.

(4) Fahmy, A.F. M., Lagowski, J. J., Using SATL Techniques to Assess Student Achievement, [18th ICCE, Istanbul Turkey, 3-8, August 2004].