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The initial analysis of the pedagogical needs in LCA education was conducted in previous
studies (see Juntunen, 2011; 2013). On the basis of these initial
analyses and a literature
review (see Section 3.), the study methods were selected for a case study involving chemistry
teachers who participated in in-service training courses.
To support the work of teachers, four free of charge in-service training courses on ESD in
chemistry were organised in Finland during the years 2010–2012. The participants were a
random sample of 20 teachers from across Finland, teaching at levels from elementary school
to high school. During the courses,
which lasted a few days each, a total of 20 chemistry
teachers collaboratively developed new inquiry-based LCA teaching for their own needs
(Joyce & Weil, 1986; Juntunen, 2011).
The collaborative design setting used was based on literature. It was closely related to
participatory action research described in Marks
et al.
(2008), as this setting also involved a
group of teachers designing new teaching concepts together with researchers. Based on their
experiences, Marks and Eilks (2009) have outlined a conceptual framework for a socio-
critical and problem-oriented approach to chemistry teaching.
The objectives of their
framework include the multi-dimensional role of science knowledge in science literacy and
the promotion of evaluation and communication skills. Their criteria for a socio-critical
science approach are authenticity, relevance,
open discussion and evaluation, as well as the
incorporation of societal, chemical and technological dimensions. Relevance is defined by
students’ experiences of the present and future worth in personal,
professional, social and
societal choices (Hofstein et al., 2011; Holbrook & Rannikmae, 2009). In this study, the
teachers were advised to take the following criteria into account when creating their new LCA
chemistry teaching concepts. The concept should:
i) Use inquiry-based, student-centred approaches that emphasise the students’ own
ideas and questions (Colburn, 2000; Joyce & Weil, 1986),
ii) Develop skills for co-operative studying,
critical thinking, problem solving,
communication and evaluation (Colburn, 2000; Zoller, 2012), and
iii) Reveal the relevance of chemistry in environmental protection, sustainability,
value-centred discussion and decision-making using LCA as an approach (Allchin,
1999; Pedretti & Nazir, 2011; Tundo et al., 2000).
The created teaching concepts were tested in schools by the teachers and collaboratively
developed further by the teachers and one researcher. As illustrated in Figure 6., the teachers
participating in the in-service training courses in 2011 developed
the teaching concepts
designed in 2010. Similarly, in 2012, the participating teachers developed the concepts from
2011. After the courses were completed, all of the created concepts (N=20) were subjected to
two separate content analyses (Tuomi & Sarajärvi, 2006) by two separate researchers to
improve the validity of the results. This type of analysis is called researcher-triangulation: two
researchers independently conduct the same analysis of all of the data to validate the results.
Depending on their structure, the developed teaching concepts were classified according to
Joyce and Weil (1986), who have described the differences between personal and social
teaching concepts. Personal teaching concepts utilise individual learning processes that affect
student achievement in basic areas, such as recalling information. Personal teaching concepts
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can be non-directive and person-centred.
Social teaching concepts, on the other hand, may
involve co-operative learning approaches, peer-teaching-peer and group investigations.
The teaching concepts were also examined for their curricular dimensions, meaning their
structure,
pedagogy, broader framing purpose and the status and setting of their scientific
knowledge (see Tytler, 2012). The final classification included the intended practices for
inserting the LCA concepts into the chemistry curriculum, the topics discussed, the learning
level, time consumption and the used methods.
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