Most educational studies highlight the gender gap in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Female students' interest and success in STEM are behind their male peers, especially in chemistry and physics classes. Females are less likely to pursue a STEM field in college. In addition, few women want to be scientists and engineers. The gender gap in STEM may be a result of traditional science teaching methods. Female students' expectations are not met, and as a result, their science interest decreases in these classrooms, as well as not pursuing STEM careers in specific chemistry, engineering, and physics. There is an increase in research and curriculum reform movements containing socioscientific issues (SSI) extending worldwide. SSI provides an opportunity to engage students in critical thinking. SSI-based science classrooms are based on real-world problems like climate change, genetic modification, and vaccination. Integrating SSI into science classrooms as a revolutionary method might renew the practices of our traditional science classrooms. However, few SSI-based educational research studies have focused on the gender gap issue. This dissertation investigated 216 middle and high school students' experiences in SSI-based classrooms with a mixed-methods approach. I investigated Model-Evidence Link diagram's effectiveness on the shiftiest in students' plausibility toward scientific model and scientific knowledge gaining in the quantitative part. I examined their experiences in SSI-based classrooms with the open-ended question survey in the qualitative part. SSI-based science activities provided gender equity conditions in science classrooms. Both genders evaluated the scientific model as more plausible by eliminating the alternative model as less plausible, and they gained scientific knowledge about Climate Change and Wetlands. The MEL diagram seemed more effective for the students' positive plausibility shifts toward the scientifically accepted model. Also, both genders had positive experiences in SSI-based classrooms in general. However, female students did not want to continue a STEM career except biomedical sciences. MEL design can be renewed by adding some initial and interval short activities and using some SSI topic-related posters and objects to prepare students for critical thinking and keep them more engaged during the activities. Also, adding student interviews and live recording the student discussions might give an understanding of the collaboration and student experiences in the SSI-based classrooms. / Math & Science Education

Le travail présenté dans cette thèse a un double objectif : d’un côté, l’élaboration d’une séquence d’apprentissage-enseignement d’une question socioscientifique, dédiée à l’argumentation et intégrée à un curriculum traditionnel français ; et d’un autre côté, l’examen de l’argumentation et de la mobilisation de connaissances (par exemple, conceptuelles scientifiques et techniques) et de l’interrelation éventuelle entre elles, lors du choix, en classe, d’un système de chauffage pour une habitation dans le cadre de débats sur le(s) changement(s) climatique(s) par des lycéens en Première scientifique. La conception de l’environnement (ou l’écologie) d’enseignement-apprentissage contextualisé et des moyens pour soutenir cet environnement se base sur deux cadres de référence : l’ « Experimental Design-based Research », un cadre général de conduite de recherche en éducation des sciences et le « Modèle d’une Écologie d’une controverse socioscientifique » un modèle spécifique à l’éducation des controverses socioscientifiques et par les controverses socioscientifiques. L’analyse de l’argumentation et de la mobilisation de connaissances (soient conceptuelles scientifiques et techniques) est organisée tout autour de l’étude de la structure (soient mobilisation de réfutations et d’arguments élaborés (mobilisation de qualification(s) avec au moins cinq bases)) et du contenu (soient des domaines d’abstraction, les thèmes, les sources et la validité) de l’argument, le produit de l’argumentation. Les résultats indiquent la mobilisation par les élèves d’arguments de qualité (de réfutations et d’arguments élaborés).et de contenus et de domaines d’abstractions élevés, mais tous les deux restent rares. Les élèves mobilisent aussi des contenus conceptuels scientifiques et techniques tout au long de la séquence. Cependant, ces contenus qu’ils soient de thèmes scientifiques , techniques ou autres, peuvent être de domaines d’abstraction faible, moyen ou élevé, et provenant des documents distribués, du curriculum prescrit ou d’autres sources. Un lien est établi entre la mobilisation de réfutations (rencontrées seulement lors des discussions des élèves en groupe et lors du débat de toute la classe) et la mobilisation de contenus valides avec une explication partielle ou convenable. Toutefois, aucun lien n’est établi entre les arguments élaborés (intégrant de(s) qualification(s) avec au moins cinq bases) mobilisés lors de la présentation des groupes et lors du pré-test et du post-test, et les contenus qu’ils soient de thèmes scientifiques, techniques ou autres ; erronés comme valides ; de domaines d’abstraction faible, moyen ou élevé ; et issus des documents distribués, du curriculum prescrit ou d’autres sources. Une discussion des résultats obtenus est réalisée. En plus, une analyse rétrospective de nos résultats obtenus à la lumière de nos cadres de références et de nos buts de recherche nous mène, entre autres, à proposer des ajustements de la séquence d’enseignement-apprentissage élaborée et de la méthodologie adoptée. / The work presented in this thesis has two objectives: on the one hand, the development of a teaching-learning sequence of a socio-scientific issue, dedicated to argumentation and integrated to a traditional French Curriculum; and on the other, the examination of the argumentation and knowledge use (e.g. conceptual scientific knowledge and technical knowledge) and the possible link between them, when high school students in grade 11scientific curriculum (16-17 years old) choose, in the classroom, a heating system for a residence, in the context of debates on climate change. The design of a contextualized teaching-learning environment (or ecology) and means to support this environment is based on two frameworks: the « Experimental Design-based Research », a general framework for conducting research in Science education and the “Modèle d’une écologie d’une controverse socioscientifique » a specific model for the education of socio-scientific controversies. The analysis of argumentation and knowledge use (e.g. conceptual scientific knowledge and technical) is organized around the study of the structure (e.g. mobilization of rebuttals or elaborated arguments (qualifiers mobilization (s) with at least five bases)) and content (e.g. abstraction areas, themes, sources and validity) of the argument, the artifact constructed. The results indicate mobilization by students of quality arguments (rebuttals and elaborated arguments) and content of high abstraction areas, but both remain rare. Students also mobilize conceptual scientific contents and technical one throughout the sequence. However, these contents whether scientific topics, technical or mother, may be of low, medium or high abstraction areas; and drawn from handouts, prescribed curriculum or other sources. A link is established between the mobilization of rebuttals (only encountered during students ‘group discussions and during all class debate) and the mobilization of valid content with at least partial explanation. However, no link is established between the elaborated arguments mobilized during groups presentation and during the pre-test and post-test, and the content, whether scientific, technical or other; wrong or valid; with areas of low abstraction, medium or high; and drawn from handouts, prescribed curriculum or from other sources. A discussion of results is done. In addition, , a retrospective analysis of our results in light of our frames of reference, and of our research objectives, leads us among other things, to propose adjustments to the elaborated methodology and teaching-learning sequence.