Compelling evidence: an influence on middle school students’ accounts that may impact decision-making about socioscientific issues

Abstract

This study investigates how middle school students make hypothetical purchasing, consuming, and voting decisions about environmental and science-related issues – a key component of environmental literacy. Fifty-three female students were given a packet containing multiple excerpts of information from conflicting positions from stakeholders and interviewed about how they would make decisions about environmental and science-related issues. We first investigated whether and how information presented as evidence influenced students’ accounts that may impact their decision-making (i.e. to make or change decisions). We then investigated how evidence type affected students’ decision-making. Findings indicated that most students did not change their stance after reading additional contrasting information presented as evidence. Implications for science teaching and learning are discussed.

Keywords:

• Environmental education
• decision-making
• environmental issues

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Santa Barbara Tech Trek Co-Directors Susan Pease and Colleen Briner-Schmidt and students for their participation in this study. We are also grateful to Scott Simon, Michele Johnson, Dr. Kristin Gunckel, Dr. Beth Covitt, Brian Emery, MSP and Santa Barbara Coastal Long Term Ecological Research Project (SBC LTER) faculty and researchers for their helpful comments. In particular, thank you to Dr. Andy Anderson, Dr. Alan Berkowitz, Dr. Jon Moore, and Dr. Ray Tschillard.