A Proposed Unit of Study in Green Technology based on Technology Design Process and Its Effectiveness in Developing Technology Models Design and Decision Making Skills in Environmental Sciences Course for the Third Grade of High School Students

Document Type : Researches for promotion to assistant professor and professor degrees

Author

Researcher, Department of Curriculum Building and Design, Curriculum Development Research Division, National Center for Educational Research and Development

Abstract

This research concerned with the problem of insufficiency of high school environmental sciences course content in introducing the recent tendency of green technology concepts and applications for students; the ignorance of teaching technology design process; insufficiency of teaching objectives related to the sustainable development, and environment protection; the lack of inquiry activities, and integrating science and technology in the content; and the ignorance of training students on the technology design skills. Thee research aimed to build a proposed unit of study in green technology based on the technology design process related to the environmental science content for third grade students of high school, and measures its effectiveness of developing technology models design, and decision making skills. The researcher designed a unit of study in green energy field including three main subjects as follows: solar green energy, wind green energy, and water green energy. One of high school teachers was trained to teach the green technology unit using the prepared teacher guide according to Gwyneth (2001) teaching strategy (ask- imagine- make a plan- design- evaluate) for 16 students of the third grade high school for six weeks. The researcher applied pre–post-test of observation list on technology models design skills, and decision making questionnaire. The research result declared that the strength effect of the unit of study was high and equal (18) for the observation card, and (18) for the questionnaire, and it was very effective in developing the technology models design skills: have a vision of the model, describing the model, making the model, testing the model, and evaluating, modifying the model; and in decision making skills: determine all possible probability, determine time line of the decision,  information gathering, determine obstacles, determine values and importance, determine positives and negatives, and making decision. The research result recommended integrating science and technology in the general school curricula, teaching green technology subject in the environmental science curricula, and train students on the technology design skills.

Main Subjects

References

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