为深入贯彻落实习近平总书记关于“要在教育‘双减’中做好科学教育加法”等重要指示和《关于加强新时代中小学科学教育工作的意见》等政策要求，进一步以“社会性科学议题学习”（Socio-scientific Issues-based learning, 简称SSI-L）为载体促中小学五育并举、整体性地发展学生科学素养与核心素养，2023年6月19日上午，“社会性科学议题学习”项目专家咨询会在北京师范大学英东学术会堂第二讲学厅召开。北京师范大学中国基础教育质量监测协同创新中心执行主任汪曙光致辞。北京师范大学继续教育与教师培训学院党委书记，基础教育发展管理部党总支书记、部长严帅和北京师范大学教育基金会秘书长李胜兰出席会议。项目负责人林静汇报项目三年工作进展。出席会议的咨询专家对于项目的研究工作进行了科学指导与专业引领。
会议现场
北京师范大学资深教授，国家教育咨询委员会委员顾明远充分肯定“社会性科学议题学习”项目的价值，称赞项目是“作为一个小的实践走向大的世界”。顾明远指出，对自然科学社会性问题的研究，是教育长期关注且不可忽视的一个方面，SSI-L是对于STS教育的延伸，在培养学生核心素养、科学素养、贯彻落实立德树人根本任务方面具有重要作用。顾明远进一步指出，科学与生活始终联系在一起，随时随地都有科学，从小培养学生的科学思维、让学生认识到科学与社会的关系、与人的关系非常关键。我国在该课题上的研究起步晚了，现在基于SSI-L项目建设起相关课程、开展这些方面的研究与实践十分必要。顾明远强调，项目要踏踏实实地做下去，要秉持“从小做大”的理念，从学生身边的小事入手来培养学生科学思维；项目要继续保持理念与实践并重，进一步落实“培养人”的教育根本任务；项目要重视教师培训，确保教师具有较高的专业素养，并依靠教师将项目的积极影响扩展出去、将提升学生核心素养的经验传播出去。
中国科学院原党组副书记兼中国科学技术大学党委书记，国际欧亚科学院院士，国家教育咨询委员会委员郭传杰指出，“社会性科学议题学习”对于我国科学教育发展战略意义重大。郭传杰指出，一方面，科技所引发的一系列问题对人类社会提出了愈发严峻的挑战，该项目为弥合科学与人文鸿沟提供了有效探索；另一方面，近年来，我国对科学教育的重视程度显著增加，但还难以将理念落实到教学实践中，而该项目为把教育重心从传递知识转向培养创造性品质提供了有效策略。针对项目的进一步开展，郭传杰强调，其一，在议题的选择上要“小题大做”，即助力学生针对具体的、自己熟悉的议题开展深入研究，同时所选议题背后又必须具有广泛的社会背景；其二，在课程目标上要加强批判性思维和创造性思维的培养，要与我国“科技强国”所需要的人才培养目标相契合；其三，通过项目加大教师队伍建设，要致力于培养一批知识面广、知识结构合理、课堂组织能力强、能适应SSI-L教学的研究型教师。
中国科技馆原馆长、党委书记，中国科普产学研创新联盟副理事长王渝生指出，自上世纪八十年代开始，科学、技术和社会的结合问题就受到了国外内研究者的广泛重视和推崇。基于爱因斯坦关于科学社会功能的论述，王渝生强调教育需要以科学的观点看待人的发展过程，重视科学对人类心灵的塑造，这与“社会性科学议题学习”项目的目标高度契合。同时，王渝生指出，天分是成为人才的必要条件，而教育需要为人才的成长提供良好的氛围。基于对习近平总书记“在创新实践中发现人才、在创新活动中培养人才、在创新事业中凝聚人才”的论述分析，王渝生建议项目进一步助推教师素养提升，促使教师能够更好地识别并培养创新型人才。
中国气象学会科普部部长张伟民指出，“社会性科学议题学习”项目有助于创设出将社会、政治、经济与日常生活行为紧密联系在一起的真实情境，为孩子们的深度参与和学习提供了良好的支撑，也有助于学生深入理解国家政策和社会发展规律。张伟民提出，气候变化是一个当下特别合适的社会性科学议题，与社会各个行业均有密切关联，期待未来与项目团队加强合作与沟通，完善基于气候变化的社会性科学议题课程设计，并推广到全国。
北京师范大学附属实验中学校长、党委副书记李晓辉认为中小学开展社会性科学议题学习非常有意义，项目的前期工作做得非常扎实，形成了很多有效的经验。针对项目下一步工作，李晓辉提出了三点建议：一是进一步明确项目实施的科普性与学术性的定位；二是要发挥SSI-L的价值导向，形成具有进阶型和延续性的议题课程，并在此基础上打造品牌活动，调动广大师生参与的积极性；三是形成涵盖课程设计、评价和教师培训的清晰范式，从而确保项目的深化实施和进一步推广。
北京师范大学实验小学党总支书记、校长吴建民指出，“社会性科学议题学习”项目有助于小学科学课程的系统化建设，并期待早日将SSI纳入到科学教育课程体系中。吴建民提议，在议题选择和议题研究上要更加注重从小学到中学的阶梯性；在议题选择上可以充分发动学生思考，由学生提出与身边生活密切相关的议题；要进一步研发优质的案例，通过具体案例促进教师对议题设计的理解与创新。
北京师范大学亚太实验学校党委书记、校长徐向东指出，“社会性科学议题学习”的目标指向明确，范式清楚简洁，对新课标的落实、学校科学课程建设、学生创造性思维的培养以及教师观念的转变均具有积极意义。徐向东认为，在项目推进过程中要持续关注立德树人根本任务的落实问题，帮助学生建立科学向善的价值理念。
北京师范大学国际与比较教育研究院副院长、教授、博士生导师滕珺指出，“社会性科学议题学习”兼具本土性与国际性，在推进科学教育改革方面具有特别意义。滕珺建议，项目组应积极开展与国际组织的合作，拓展国际架构，适度调用国际资源，将国际组织关切的健康与疾病、自然资源、环境质量等问题作为学生议题学习的一个部分，同时也为学生的发展提供更广阔的国际化平台，提升学生的国际理解能力，为我国“为国际组织输送更多中国人才”的长期战略培养更多后备人才。
北京师范大学物理学院教授、博士生导师项华肯定了基于社会性科学议题促进学生发展科学素养、消除观念冲突和促进社会和谐发展的重要意义。项华指出，SSI-L让学生从小开始关注科学、技术、社会的关系，在联系现实的课程与教学中，促进学生运用科学的思维方式解决科学与社会中有争议问题的能力。针对项目的后续开展，项华特别强调，要推进社会性科学议题教学落实到科学课程标准与教学之中；同时，要在前期案例研究基础之上，进一步倡导师生基于SSI-L进行多样化教学模式和培训模式探索。
与会专家从教育、科技、人才对于全面建设社会主义现代化国家的重要性出发，对“社会性科学议题学习”项目的进一步开展给予高端引领与顶层设计，指导项目的研究与实践更好地服务于中小学科学教育质量提升、中小学生科学素养提升、中小学科学教师队伍建设。汇聚专家智慧与团队力量，“社会性科学议题学习”项目组将坚持理论与实践并重，依托北京师范大学基础教育办学平台，携手合作校打造优质品牌课程与案例，创建具有中国基础教育特色的SSI教学模式，培养优质师资，落实立德树人根本任务，着力在深化素质教育、强师提质、做好科学教育加法等方面发挥引领示范作用。
To thoroughly implement General Secretary Xi Jinping’s important instructions on “Promoting an additive approach to science education in the ‘double reduction’ policy”, and requirements of the Opinions on Consolidating Science Education in Primary and Secondary Schools in the New Era, it is necessary to further leverage Socio-scientific Issues-based Learning (SSI-L) as a carrier to facilitate the five-dimension education in primary and secondary schools and the overall development of students’ science literacy and core competencies. On the morning of June 19, 2023, an expert consultation meeting on the SSI-L project was held in the second lecture hall of the Yingdong Academic Building at Beijing Normal University. Wang Shuguang, Executive Director of the Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, delivered a welcome speech. Yan Shuai, Secretary of the CPC Committee of the School of Continuing Education and Teacher Training, Secretary of the Party Branch and Director of the Department of Basic Education Development and Management of Beijing Normal University, and Li Shenglan, Secretary General of Beijing Normal University Education Foundation, attended the meeting. Lin Jing, head of the SSI-L project team, presented the project’s progress in the past three years. The experts at the meeting provided professional guidance for the project research.
Gu Mingyuan, a senior professor at Beijing Normal University and a member of the National Education Advisory Committee, fully affirmed the value of SSI-L project, praising the project as “a small practice moving to the big world”. Gu indicated that the study of social issues in natural science is an aspect of education that has long been concerned and cannot be ignored. SSI-L is an extension of Science, Technology and Society (STS) Education, which plays a vital role in cultivating students’ core competencies and science literacy and implementing the fundamental task of Lideshuren through education. Gu also suggested that science and life are always intertwined. There is science anytime and anywhere. Therefore, it is crucial to nurture students’ scientific thinking, making them aware of the relationship between science, society, and human beings as early as possible. China’s research on this subject started late, and now it is imperative to set up applicable curriculums based on SSI-L projects, and carry out research and practice on these aspects. Gu stressed that the project should be carried out in a down-to-earth manner, adhering to the principle of “starting out small and building up something big”, and starting with small things around students to cultivate their scientific thinking. The project should continue to maintain equal emphasis on concept and practice, and further implement Lideshuren through education as a fundamental task. It should attach importance to teacher training to ensure teachers’ professional quality, and the teachers could disseminate the positive impact of the project and their experience in improving students’ core competencies.
Guo Chuanjie, former Deputy Secretary of the CPC Group of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Secretary of the CPC Committee of University of Science and Technology of China, academician of International Eurasian Academy of Sciences, and member of the National Education Advisory Committee, pointed out that SSI-L is of great significance to the country’s strategic development of science education. Guo elaborated that, on the one hand, a series of problems caused by science and technology have posed increasingly severe challenges to human society. The SSI-L project effectively explores how to bridge the gap between science and humanities. On the other hand, China has put increased emphasis on science education in recent years. But it is still difficult to translate concepts into teaching practice. The SSI-L project provides a practical approach to shifting the focus of education from imparting knowledge to cultivating creative qualities. Regarding the further development of the project, Guo stressed that, first, it is necessary to “make a big deal out of a molehill” in issue selection, that is, to help students carry out in-depth research on specific and familiar issues. In the meantime, the selected issue must have a broad social background. Second, the curriculum objectives should strengthen the cultivation of critical thinking and creative thinking, aligning with the talent training goals required by the strategy of building China into a great power in science and technology. And third, greater efforts should be made to optimize the construction of the teacher group through the project, and cultivate a group of research-oriented teachers with wide-ranged and well-structured knowledge, strong classroom organizing skills, and the capability to adapt to SSI-L teaching.
Wang Yusheng, former Curator and Secretary of CPC Committee of China Science and Technology Museum and Deputy Director of the Chinese Science Popularization of the Industry-University-Research Innovation Alliance, pointed out that the integration of science, technology and society has been widely valued and appreciated by domestic and abroad researchers since the 1980s. Based on Einstein’s exposition on the social function of science, Wang stressed that education needs to approach the process of human development from a scientific perspective, and attach importance to the function of science in cultivating human mind, which is highly consistent with the goal of the SSI-L project. Wang further indicated that genius is the prerequisite of becoming talented personnel, and education needs to provide a proper environment for the growth of talented personnel. In line with General Secretary Xi Jinping’s exposition of “discovering talents in innovation practice, cultivating talents by innovation activities, and gathering talents for innovation undertakings”, Wang suggested that the project should further promote teacher’s literacy, so that teachers can better identify and cultivate innovative talents.
Zhang Weimin, Director of the Science Popularization Department of the Chinese Meteorological Society, pointed out that the SSI-L project helps to create a real scenario that closely connects society, politics, economy, and daily life behaviors, supporting children’s in-depth engagement and learning and helping them deeply understand national policies and social development patterns. Zhang proposed that climate change is one of the particularly suitable SSI issues at present, closely related to all sectors of society. He looked forward to strengthening cooperation and communication with the project team, improving the SSI curriculum design of climate change, and promoting it nationwide.
Li Xiaohui, Principal and Deputy Secretary of the CPC Committee of the Experimental High School Attached to Beijing Normal University, believed that it is significant for primary and secondary schools to carry out SSI learning. The preliminary work of the SSI-L project has been very solid, and has accumulated a wealth of practical experience. For the subsequent phase, Li put forward three suggestions: first, to further clarify the scientific and academic positioning of the project implementation; second, to give full play to the value orientation of SSI-L, initiating progressive and continuous SSI curriculums and creating brand activities on such basis to mobilize the enthusiasm of teachers and students for engagement; and third, to create a clear paradigm comprising curriculum design, evaluation, and teacher training, thus to ensure the in-depth implementation and promotion of the project.
Wu Jianmin, Secretary of the CPC General Branch and Principal of the Experimental Primary School of Beijing Normal University, pointed out that the SSI-L project is conducive to the systematic construction of science curriculums in primary schools. He looked forward to accelerating the integration of SSI into the science education curriculum system. Wu proposed that more attention should be paid to the successiveness between primary and secondary schools in issue selection and research, that students can be fully mobilized to think in issue selection, and propose topics that are closely related to daily life around them, and that it is necessary to develop high-quality curriculums and cases, enhancing teachers’ understanding and innovation of issue design through specific cases.
Xu Xiangdong, Secretary of the CPC Committee and Principal of the Asia Pacific Experimental School of Beijing Normal University, pointed out that the SSI-L project has explicit goals and a clear paradigm. It is of positive significance to implementing the new curriculum standards, constructing science curriculums in schools, cultivating students’ innovative thinking, and transforming teachers’ ideas. Xu believed that during the project’s implementation, constant attention should be paid to the fundamental task of Lideshuren through education and helping students build up the correct value of “science for good”.
Teng Jun, Deputy Dean, professor, and doctoral supervisor of the Institute of International and Comparative Education of Beijing Normal University, pointed out that local and international features co-exist in SSI-L, making the project particularly significant in promoting science education reform. Teng suggested that the project team should vigorously carry out cooperation with international organizations, explore global frameworks, mobilize overseas educational resources appropriately, and take health and disease, natural resources, environmental quality, and other issues that international organizations are concerned about as a part of students’ learning issues. This will in the meantime provide a broader international platform for students’ development, enhance their international understanding, and cultivate more reserve talents for China’s long-term strategy of ‘supplying more Chinese talents to international organizations’.
Xiang Hua, professor and doctoral supervisor at the Department of Physics of Beijing Normal University, affirmed the projects’ importance in developing students’ science literacy, eliminating conflicts of ideas, and promoting harmonious development of society. Xiang pointed out that SSI-L allows students to concentrate on the relationship between science, technology, and society from an early age. It enhances their ability to use scientific thinking to solve controversial issues in science and society in the curriculums and teaching that connects with reality. Regarding the follow-up development of the project, Xiang noted that further effort should be made to put SSI-L teaching into the science curriculum standards and teaching practice. Based on the existing case studies, teachers and students should be encouraged to explore new grounds for diverse teaching and training modes in SSI-L.
The experts started from the importance of education, technology, and talented personnel for the comprehensive construction of a socialist modern country, and provided high-end guidance and top-level design for the future development of the SSI-L project. They suggested that the project research and practice further promote the quality of science education, enhance students’ science literacy, and better construct the science teacher group in primary and secondary schools. Building upon such expert insights and team strength, the SSI-L project team will maintain equal emphasis on theory and practice, rely on the basic education platform of Beijing Normal University, cooperate with partner schools to create high-quality brand curriculums and cases, develop SSI-L teaching models with Chinese basic education characteristics, cultivate qualified teachers, implement the fundamental task of Lideshuren through education, and strive to play a leading and exemplary role in deepening quality education, strengthening teachers’ quality, and promoting the additive approach to science education.