What is the global dimension?
Globalisation affects our daily lives more and more. International trade, instant electronic communications, climate change and the spread of disease and pollution no longer respect national borders. As the pace of change accelerates, the impacts of actions by others thousands of miles away can only increase.
Many educators believe that it is vital for education - not least science education - to reflect the global dimension and its profound impact on all our lives.
This raises some important questions for science educators:
- What do we mean by the global dimension in science?
- Why is it important to incorporate the global dimension in science, and what are the benefits of doing so?
- What aspects of historic and contemporary practice in science are best tackled from a global perspective?
Through considering these questions, we hope you will gain the motivation, knowledge and confidence to incorporate the global dimension into your science lessons and embed this approach into the work of your school or science department. To start this process, try the Activity on the right now.
Definition of the global dimension
The global dimension in science comprises the elements of science that focus on global interdependence, issues and events.
Activity Resources:
- Images
- Interactive
- Sound
- Text
- Video
Activity
There are probably as many different views about the reasons for incorporating the global dimension into science teaching and learning as there are science teachers!
Click on the item under the Text icon above to read two teachers' views. Print this sheet.
- Read the opinions. Mark your own view on a continuum line between the opinions of teacher A and teacher B.
- Discuss the teachers' opinions with one or more colleagues. Mark on the continuum:
- Where you think the consensus view of your own school or science department is now.
- Where you would like your school or science department to be in a year's time.
