A Rubric to Evaluate Critical Science Education for Sustainability

Social and environmental problems are increasing, as is the urgency that they be addressed in educational institutions to form critical, responsible and active citizens. In this training process, the dialogue between science education and education for sustainability is crucial if we want to understand socio-environmental problems in complex and uncertain contexts, which is why we define Critical Science Education for Sustainability (CSES). In addition to reflecting on which contents and methodologies are most appropriate in CSES, it is also necessary to reflect on the development of assessment instruments that allow diagnosing and evaluating the practice, materials and educational activities from such a perspective. Only with an appropriate instrument and suitable diagnosis can we make decisions to transform education and move towards CSES. This article presents an investigation based on the Delphi method with the participation of 37 international researchers, which resulted in a rubric, the Science, Technology and Society Assessment Tool. A rubric is a kind of evaluation tool that can assess education programs using qualitative or quantitative descriptors. This rubric is meant to analyze and guide critical science education in the context of teaching, policies and educational programs that favor sustainability.

Automated summary

Social and environmental problems are increasing, highlighting the importance of addressing them in educational institutions to develop critical, responsible, and active citizens. The dialogue between science education and education for sustainability, known as Critical Science Education for Sustainability (CSES), is crucial for understanding complex and uncertain socio-environmental problems. This study presents a rubric, the Science, Technology and Society Assessment Tool, developed through a Delphi method-based investigation involving 37 international researchers. The rubric aims to analyze and guide critical science education in teaching, policies, and educational programs that support sustainability.