Picturing the Socioscientific Issue of Water Scarcity through the Lens of Futures Thinking
Abstract
Water scarcity poses both ecological and educational challenges. This article presents an innovative pedagogical approach explored during an educational intervention with students from Universidad de los Andes (Colombia) and Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico). The innovation consisted of addressing the water crisis as a socioscientific issue, integrating it with futures thinking. The study analyzed various conceptualizations of the water crisis, and the forms of thinking developed throughout the intervention. It was based on a qualitative exploration of data provided by 15 participants, collected through initial essays, written productions, and final questionnaires. The results reveal an increased capacity to grasp the complexity of the water scarcity issue, as well as the development of critical, divergent, and systemic thinking skills.
Keywords
Science education, Socioscientific issues, Futures thinking, Water scarcity, Scientific literacy for citizenshipReferences
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