Explorations of Tenth-Grade STS[E] Curricula Across Three Provincial Political Landscapes

This thesis focuses on explorations of science, technology, society and the environment (i.e., STS[E]) outcomes/expectations in tenth-grade level science curricula across three Canadian provinces (i.e., Alberta, Manitoba Ontario) with distinctive provincial political environments at the time of curriculum construction and/or implementation. Document analysis, discourse analysis and a range of theoretical frameworks (i.e., Levinson, 2010; Pedretti Nazir, 2011 Krathwohl, 2002) were used to aid in explorations of STS[E] curriculum segments and discourses in each provincial region. More detailed analysis and thematic exploration is presented for each unit associated with climate change as some interesting patterns emerged following initial analysis. My findings are presented as three comparative case studies and represent a small and original contribution to the large body of scholarly research devoted to studies of STS[E] education, where each province represents a unique case that has been explored regarding some aspects the STS[E] curriculum outcomes/expectations and general political culture as well as some other theoretical factors. Findings from this study indicate that Alberta’s STS[E] outcomes may be related to Levinson’s (2010) ‘deliberative’ citizenship focus. The following currents from Pedretti and Nazir (2011) appear to be emphasized: logical reasoning, historical, application design and socio-cultural aligned outcomes when STS[E] is considered as an entity separate from the Alberta curriculum combination of STS and Knowledge. Ontario’s STS[E] expectations may align with Levinson’s (2010) ‘deliberative’ or in some select cases a ‘deliberative’/’praxis’ framework category with some emphasis related to logical reasoning and socio-cultural awareness (Pedretti Nazir, 2011) in their STS[E] curriculum. The Manitoba STS[E] outcomes may be aligned with a more ‘deliberative’ approach with some associations that could intersect with the framework categories of ‘praxis’ or possibly ‘dissent and conflict’ (Levinson, 2010) and the logical reasoning, socio-cultural and socio-ecojustice currents (Pedretti Nazir, 2011). General provincial political culture seems to play a limited role in the STS[E] outcomes/expectations as the provinces studied here all tend to align with Levinson’s (2010) deliberative citizenship stance (i.e., to varying degrees), with some caveats as explored throughout these cases. A chapter on cross-case analysis follows the three central cases and focuses on the following categories that emerged from this research: STS[E] ontology; STS[E] citizenship and socio-economic thematic explorations. The final chapter of this thesis focuses on some additional factors and theoretical explorations that may shape STS[E] curricula such as cultural-geographic considerations; educational-political interactions during curriculum construction processes and possible influences from academic scientists. This chapter also provides some recommendations for curriculum development as aligned with case study approaches and provides insights regarding possibilities for future research.

Keywords: Curriculum
Policy
STS[E]
Advisor: Bencze, John Lawrence