Multiple Perspectives on the Socio-Scientific Issue (SSI) “Mobility”
by Andrea Frantz-Pittner
Looking at the commentary pages of local newspapers, it seems that the population is made up of transport experts. But is it really that easy to find solutions to one of the biggest challenges of our cities and communities? Both individual and societal mobility decisions are caught between ecological and economic, but also social, political and ethical considerations. Whether it is a question of equitable access to mobility, safeguarding economic infrastructure, reducing traffic-related environmental pollution or the accessibility of remote locations: measures that make sense from one point of view turn out to be problematic from another. Negotiation processes based on well-founded facts from the disciplines involved and the balance of different positions form the basis for sustainable concepts. This circumstance and the fact that mobility forms a substantial part of pupils’ lifeworld makes the topic a suitable SSI for classroom use.
Photo: sferraro 1986 at Pixabay
Photo: Geralt at Pixabay
In this module of the ENSITE project, pre-sevice teachers deal with the topic of mobility and learn about its potential as an SSI. In a role play, they immerse themselves in the perspectives of participants in a transport planning process. Based on their own experiences, they identify different perspectives on mobility. Students make connections between mobility issues and curriculum content, sustainability goals and civic competences. The prospective teachers are sensitised to the different perspectives that have to come together in this problem area relevant to everyday life in order to develop socially sustainable solutions. They discover that there are meaningful issues in the students’ immediate environment that can be used for SSI lessons.
