Chais2025_Heb_and_Eng-web

38E Digital Curation in Science Education (Short Paper) Introduction Over the past two decades, science education shifted from presenting scientific knowledge to actively involving students in socio-scientific issues (SSIs). These SSIs are real-world dilemmas that often intersect science with social, political, and ethical concerns. The context-based learning model has emerged as a critical approach in this educational shift, where students are encouraged to analyze and reason through socio-scientific dilemmas critically, thus improving scientific understanding and engagement (Sadler et al., 2016). Context-based learning allows students to apply scientific knowledge to authentic, real-world issues, making science education more relevant and meaningful. Previous research has extensively explored the integration of SSIs into science education curricula, demonstrating its positive contributions to students' cognitive, emotional, and social engagement (Zeidler, 2014). One of the most important components of SSI education is the development of students' critical thinking skills, which enables them to analyze complex issues, evaluate evidence, and engage in ethical reasoning (Ratcliffe & Grace, 2003). Recent studies have also highlighted the growing role of digital platforms in SSI learning, emphasizing that students need to navigate vast sources of online information (Klosterman et al., 2012). However, the challenge lies in ensuring students can evaluate online information's credibility, authenticity, and relevance (Rawson Lesnefsky et al., 2023). Digital curation (DC) is the systematic process of selecting, organizing, and preserving digital items to create collections that provide valuable, pertinent information on a specific subject (Tsybulsky, 2020). While DC is widely used in professional and academic contexts, its use in educational settings, particularly in science education, is relatively new (Gadot & Tsybulsky, 2023; Dayan, Gadot, & Tsybulsky, 2023). The integration of DC in teaching SSIs offers a unique opportunity to contribute to student engagement by fostering scientific inquiry and digital literacy (Dayan & Tsybulsky, 2024). Thus, this study explores how DC as an instructional tool can contribute to engagement in science education through the lens of SSI-based learning. Research Aim This study investigated whether integrating DC into SSI teaching can contribute to students' engagement in multiple dimensions. Specifically, the study focused on five key dimensions of engagement: cognitive, behavioral, emotional, social, and agentic. Each dimension reflects a different aspect of how students interact with learning material. Methodology The research followed a qualitative case study approach, selected for its ability to explore complex phenomena within their real-life context (Yin, 2003). Four secondary school science teachers and 25 students participated in the study. The teachers from different schools participated in a 30-hour professional development (PD) program focused on digital curation in science education. During the PD, teachers were introduced to digital curation and developed SSI-based instructional units that integrated DC. These instructional units were then implemented in their classrooms. The case study method was particularly suited to this research, as it allowed for an in-depth exploration of the contribution of DC on student engagement across multiple dimensions. The 25 students were divided into small groups and asked to curate digital collections on one of three SSI topics: energy drinks, hybrid vehicles, or solar energy. The teachers provided minimal guidance during the curation process, allowing students to take ownership of their learning.