Science, Technology, Society & Environmental (STSE) education has been an important part of science education curriculum development and research. STSE educators opened channels and alternative paths for teaching science in which context was seen as a more powerful starting point for learning. Although these researchers don’t use phrase “humanistic science,” others have synthesized the field of STSE using the phrase.

A recent article on this topic was published in the journal Science Education by Pedretti & Nazir entitled Currents in STSE education: Mapping a complex field, 40 years on.

The researchers have examined the literature of STSE education over the past 40 years, and have identified, explored, and critiqued six currents or trends in STSE education. These currents include: application/design, historical, logical reasoning, value-centered, sociocultural, and socio-ecojustice currents.

Over the past 40 years of innovation, a complex of programs and curricula were developed on a world-wide scale, and have made serious contributions to science teaching. Although not representative of mainstream science education as defined in most countries’ science standards, the STSE education movement has influenced, to some degree, the importance of societal implications of science and technology.

I used the authors currents, and developed this map of the six strands for your visualization.

Pedretti, E., & Nazir, J. (2011). Currents in STSE education: Mapping a complex field, 40 years on Science Education, 95 (4), 601-626 DOI: 10.1002/sce.20435