Energy Policy as a Socio-Scientific Issue: Argumentation in the Context of Economic, Environmental and Citizenship Education

One goal of environmental civic education is preparing students, both as citizens and professionals, to use effective arguments in public debates. Such debates include dominantly economic claims, which are multifaceted rarely taught schools. A learning unit that applied the pedagogical principles socio-scientific issues was developed for ‘Israel’s Natural Gas Export Policy’, a real sustainability dilemma. The study aimed understand how pre- in-service science teachers craft their arguments, by comparing written reasoned opinions on gas export debate, before after unit. Content analysis conducted using Grounded Theory two groups’ texts multiple case design. Five reasoning rationales were found: ‘Profits Risks’, ‘Ethics or Ideology’, ‘Pragmatic Objectives’, ‘Evidence Base’ ‘Stakeholder Motivations’. Each rationale yielded different strategies, including ‘Costs/Benefits’, ‘the Trade-Off Dilemma’ ‘Compromise’, ‘Compensatory Benefits’ ‘Non-Compensatory Costs/Risks’. findings show groups used more argument types post-task. development Risks’ between post-texts, shows teachers’ became complex decisive. These results exemplify SSI-focused enables learners enhance critical citizenship thinking, one cornerstones democracy.