chapter 4. SSI approach out of schools - How can these approaches be used in science museums and other non formal education contexts?
Résumé
In recent years, educational research has shown that approaching science within a socioscientific context has multiple benefits for students at the cognitive level and in terms of personality
and skill development. A wealth of research has already been performed in the context of formal education on this topic; however, considerably less has been performed in the context
of non-formal education. In this chapter, we seek to provide examples of socioscientific issues (SSIs) being applied in nonformal education contexts, especially in museums. Activities from the Natural History Museum of Porto, the National Museum of Natural History of Paris and the Zoological Museum of Athens are presented. The activities focus on one aspect of evolution that is becoming increasingly noticeable in the lives of modern people: biodiversity. Biodiversity is not only a biological concept
that people of all ages should be aware of, but an essential component of life. Reference is also made to the integration of SSI activities in other non-formal education environments. Finally, we conclude with a critical reflection on the contribution of such environments to SSI education.