Towards a Discourse-Based Understanding of Sustainability Education and Decision Making

Based on the indeterminate character of the sustainability concept, a procedural and discursive understanding of sustainability decision making and corresponding approaches for education for sustainability (EFS) is proposed. A set of criteria for teaching strategies to promote sustainability decision making, taking into account the demands of deliberative democracy theory, are presented. These criteria (such as reason, complexity management, critical thinking, etc.) are used to argue for an educational approach that involves the development, justification, and weighting of arguments in combination with an instructional tool called Target-Mat. According to a consequent process orientation, structures for arguing or defining sustainability are not given as authorized standards. Suggestions from previous social discourse are only introduced as controversial pairings—for example, different definitions of sustainability. Examples of student decision-making processes are given to demonstrate the potential of the approach to encourage student reflection and cooperative negotiation that engenders a successive deepening of their argumentation

Indirekte Instruktionen im naturwissenschaftlichen Unterricht und ihre epistemologische Fundierung

Sowohl die curriculare Aufwertung lernerseitiger Erkenntnisgewinnungsprozesse in den naturwissenschaftlichen Unterrichtsfächern als auch die konstruktivistische Perspektive auf das Lernen rücken u.a. die kognitiven Aktivitäten der Lernenden ins Zentrum didaktischen Handelns. Aus der Vorstellung des „aktiv konstruierenden Lerners“ leitet sich die Frage nach der Eignung unterschiedlicher Instruktionsformen ab. Diese werden als direkte vs. indirekte Instruktionen begrifflich abgegrenzt und bzgl. unterschiedlicher Argumentationsebenen diskutiert. Ausgehend von der hieraus abgeleiteten Berechtigung bzw. Notwendigkeit indirekter Instruktionen stellt sich im Kontext konstruktivistischer Ansätze des Lernens die Frage nach einer epistemologischen Fundierung indirekter Instruktionen. Auf der Grundlage einer Differenzierung des konstruktivistischen Paradigmas in unterschiedliche Bedeutungsebenen, erweist sich die epistemologische Dimension des Konstruktivismus, der mit dem moderaten Konstruktivismus kongruent ist, als ungeeignete Theoriefundierung indirekt instruierender Lehrkonzepte. Alternativ wird das kognitiv-wissenschaftstheoretische Konzept des Model-based View als vielversprechender Theorierahmen für indirekt instruierender Lehr-/Lernarrangements vorgestellt; dieser bietet auf der Grundlage einer korrespondenzbasierten Relation zwischen Modellvorstellungen und realen Daten ein Gültigkeitskriterium zur Beurteilung alternativer Modellvorstellungen als notwendige Voraussetzung indirekter Instruktionen. Entsprechende Schlussfolgerungen für die Entwicklung indirekt instruierender Lehr-/Lernarrangements werden vorgestellt

Towards a Discourse-Based Understanding of Sustainability Education and Decision Making

Based on the indeterminate character of the sustainability concept, a procedural and discursive understanding of sustainability decision making and corresponding approaches for education for sustainability (EFS) is proposed. A set of criteria for teaching strategies to promote sustainability decision making, taking into account the demands of deliberative democracy theory, are presented. These criteria (such as reason, complexity management, critical thinking, etc.) are used to argue for an educational approach that involves the development, justification, and weighting of arguments in combination with an instructional tool called Target-Mat. According to a consequent process orientation, structures for arguing or defining sustainability are not given as authorized standards. Suggestions from previous social discourse are only introduced as controversial pairings—for example, different definitions of sustainability. Examples of student decision-making processes are given to demonstrate the potential of the approach to encourage student reflection and cooperative negotiation that engenders a successive deepening of their argumentation

Towards a Discourse-Based Understanding of Sustainability Education and Decision Making

Based on the indeterminate character of the sustainability concept, a procedural and discursive understanding of sustainability decision making and corresponding approaches for education for sustainability (EFS) is proposed. A set of criteria for teaching strategies to promote sustainability decision making, taking into account the demands of deliberative democracy theory, are presented. These criteria (such as reason, complexity management, critical thinking, etc.) are used to argue for an educational approach that involves the development, justification, and weighting of arguments in combination with an instructional tool called Target-Mat. According to a consequent process orientation, structures for arguing or defining sustainability are not given as authorized standards. Suggestions from previous social discourse are only introduced as controversial pairings—for example, different definitions of sustainability. Examples of student decision-making processes are given to demonstrate the potential of the approach to encourage student reflection and cooperative negotiation that engenders a successive deepening of their argumentation

Between land and sea – a classification of saline and brackish grasslands of the baltic sea coast

Aims: Baltic Sea coastal grasslands are influenced by saline or brackish sea water, a narrow tidal range and non-intensive land use. Since their designation as Natura 2000 habitat types under the EU Habitats Directive, they have become an important conservation issue in Europe. Little supra-regional research has been conducted to date on their floristic and ecological diversity, syntaxonomy and geographic variation. We surveyed the geographical distribution and syntaxonomical variation of saline and brackish grasslands to highlight large-scale gradients in species composition, as well as underlying climatic and other abiotic factors. We discuss the resulting vegetation types in the context of northern Europe and review implications for conservation. Study area: Baltic Sea coast. Methods: We compiled a comprehensive plot-based vegetation dataset for the Baltic Sea coast and subsequently selected relevés by species composition and plot size. We classified 3,732 relevés, using modified TWINSPAN, identified differential species and syntaxa, and performed a DCA with post-hoc fitted intrinsic and climatic variables. We tested main differences in relevant factors for significance. Results: The classification resulted in 33 vegetation types of differing distribution range and area. Most common were the classes Juncetea maritimi and Molinio-Arrhenatheretea, with the classes Phragmito-Magnocaricetea, Cakiletea maritimae, Saginetea maritimae, Scheuchzerio palustris-Caricetea fuscae and Koelerio-Corynephoretea canescentis also present. Baltic Sea coastal grasslands vary in soil salinity and moisture and, to a lesser extent, in nutrient availability and base content. Conclusions: Variation in the plant communities reflects regional phytogeographical patterns. Communities most similar to north-west European coastal grassland types are characterized by euhaline to α-mesohaline site conditions. Designations of the Natura 2000 habitat types H1330 and H1630 require revision. Many Baltic Sea coastal grassland plant communities include species threatened at the national level.</p