Introduction: As a field of science
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new field of academic discipline
science, technology and society
(concepts) seek to promote inter-disciplinary
integration, human society engagement, and
critical thinking
an interdisciplinary field of academic teaching and
research
requires countless epistemological, political, and
ethical questions
Epistemological
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the philosophical (calm attitude toward
disappointments or difficulties) study of the nature,
origin, and limits of human knowledge
Constructivism
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a theory -- based on observation and scientific
study -- about how people learn
people construct their own understanding and
knowledge of the world, through experiencing
things and reflecting on those experiences
reconcile it with previous ideas and experience,
maybe changing what they believe, or maybe
discarding the new information as irrelevant
are active creators of their own knowledge
must ask questions, explore, and assess what they
know
In constructivism: STS
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assumes scientific and technological developments
AS socially constructed phenomena
science and technology are inherently human, and
value-laden
- activities that are always approached and
understood PROCESSED THINKING
does not deny the constraints imposed by nature
on the physical reality of technological artifacts
does maintain that knowledge and understanding
of nature, of science, and of technology are socially
mediated processes
In sociology and anthropology,
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constructivism is the view that social reality is
constructed by human beings — structures such as
race, class, and nationality are all social
constructions
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three broad categories
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Cognitive Constructivism
Social Constructivism
Radical Constructivism
Cognitive constructivism
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knowledge is something that is actively
constructed by learners based on their existing
cognitive structures
learning is relative to their stage of cognitive
development
Learners construct new knowledge on the
foundations of their existing knowledge
Social Constructivism
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'a social group constructing things for one another,
collaboratively creating a small culture of shared
artifacts with shared meanings'
Radical Constructivism
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von Glasersfeld
a theory of knowing that provides a pragmatic
approach to questions about reality, truth, and
human understanding
argued that we construct our concepts and our
understanding of the world, developmentally
Contextualism
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describes a collection of views in philosophy which
emphasize the context in which an action,
utterance (pagbigkas), or expression occurs
and
argues that, in some important respect, the action,
utterance, or expression can only be understood
relative to that context
As a corollary to the notion of constructivism,
follows that science and technology are historically,
politically, and culturally embedded, which means
they can only be understood in context
To do otherwise would be to deny their socially
constructed nature
does not contradict reality but does suggest that
there are different contextualized ways of knowing
any given technological solution to a problem must
be seen as contextualized within the particular
socio-political-economic framework that gave rise
to it.
Problematiztaion
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a critical thinking and pedagogical dialogue or
process and may be considered demythicisation
- the act of making something easier to understand
and less complicated by explaining it in a clear and
simple way
poses that knowledge as a problem, allowing new
viewpoints, consciousness, reflection, hope, and
action to emerge
A view of scientific knowledge and especially
technological development as value-laden, and
hence non-neutral, leads to the problematization
of both
views science and technology have societal
implications, frequently positive
but some negative, at least for some people
not only acceptable
necessary to query the essence of scientific
knowledge and the application of technological
artifacts and processes with an eye toward
evaluative and ethical prescription
Democratization
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Given the problematic natures of science and
technology, and accepting their construction by
society
leads to the notion of enhanced democratic
control of technoscience
Due to the inherent societal and ethical
implications
there need to be more explicit participatory
mechanisms for enhancing public participation in
the shaping and control of science and technology
The ultimate goal
- to structure science and technology in ways that
are collectively the most democratically beneficial
for society
A brief HISTORY
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STS
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the study of how society, politics, and culture
affect scientific research and technological
innovation, and how they affect society, politics
and culture
Multidisciplinary
Ancient period to present
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IN PHILIPPINES
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STS is the 7th of the eight required subjects in the
new General Education Curriculum (GEC) known as
“Science, Technology, and Society/Agham,
Teknolohiya, at Lipunan.” CMO 20, series of 2013
“Interactions between science and technology and
social, cultural, political, and economic contexts
which shape and are shaped by them; specific
examples throughout human history of scientific
and technological developments”
Early pinoys: Pre- Spanish Era
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had practices linked to science and technology
already aware of the medicinal and therapeutic
properties of plants and the methods of extracting
medicine from herbs
had an alphabet, number system, a weighing and
measuring system and a calendar
already engaged in farming, shipbuilding, mining
and weaving
Banaue Rice Terraces is among the sophisticated
products of engineering
American Era
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Philippine Commission established the Bureau of
Government Laboratories
replaced the Laboratorio Municipal
study of tropical diseases and laboratory projects
replaced by the Bureau of Science
National Research Council of the Philippines
towards agriculture, food processing, forestry,
medicine and pharmacy
American Era: post war
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Bureau of Science was replaced by the Institute of
Science
lack of basic information, lack of support of
experimental work and minimal budget for
scientific research and low salaries of scientists
during the regime of President Carlos P. Garcia,
Philippine Congress passed the Science Act of 1958
which established the National Science
Development Board
Marcos Administration
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January 23, 1967
science was necessary for the development
programs and directed the Department of
Education to revitalize the science courses in public
high schools
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Department of Education with the National Science
Development Board (NSDB), organized a project to
provide selected high schools with science teaching
equipment over a four-year period
technology was the leading factor in economic
development and channeled additional funds to
support projects in applied sciences and science
education. A year later
gave a big part of the war damage fund to private
universities to encourage them to create courses in
science and technology and research
planned a project to have medical interns do a tour
of duty in provincial hospitals to arouse their social
consciousness and reduce the "brain drain"
April 6, 1968
35 hectares in Bicutan, Taguig, Rizal as the site of
the Philippine Science Community
conducted seminars for public and private high
school and college science teachers, training
programs and scholarships for graduate and
undergraduate science scholars, and workshops on
fisheries and oceanography
January 26, 1970
emphasized that the upgrading of science curricula
and teaching equipment
January 24, 1972
major development projects in reforming sectors
of education
research and development schools, technical
institutes, science education centers, and
agricultural colleges and vocational high schools
1972
National Grains Authority to provide for the
development of the rice and corn industry to fully
harness it for the economy of the country
Presidential Decree No. 4, s. 1972
established the Philippine Council for Agricultural
Research to support the progressive development
of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries for the nation
attached to the Department of Agriculture and
Natural Resources for administrative purposes
provided support for the promotion of scientific
research and invention with Presidential Decree No.
49, s. 1972
contains details on the protection of intellectual
property for the creator or publisher of the work
established
the
Philippine
Atmospheric
Geophysical
and
Astronomical
Services
Administration (PAGASA) under the Department of
National Defense to provide environmental
protection and to utilize scientific knowledge to
ensure the safety of the people. (Presidential
Decree No. 78, s. 1972)
1973
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created the Philippine National Oil Company
(PNOC) to promote industrial and economic
development through effective and efficient use of
energy sources by virtue of Presidential Decree No.
334, s. 1973
1976
Presidential Decree No. 1003-A, s. 1976 to
establish the National Academy of Science and
Technology (NAST), which is composed of scientists
with "innovative achievement in the basic and
applied sciences," to serve as a reservoir of
scientific and technological expertise for the
country
1978
created a Task Force on the formulation of a
national action program on science and technology
to assess policies and programs of science and
technology (Executive Order No. 512, s. 1978)
July 23, 1979
Council for Agricultural Research and Resources
(PCARR), the Plant Breeding Institute (PBI), the
International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), the
Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), and the Bureau of
Forest Products (BFP)
market machinery did not adapt and invest in this
technology due to the high-risk front-end costs
1979
constituted the Health Sciences Center created by
R.A. No. 5163 as an autonomous member within
the University of the Philippines System to improve
the internal organization and unity of leadership
within its units (Executive Order No. 519, s. 1979)
1980
created the National Committee on Geological
Sciences to advise government and private entities
on matters concerning development in geological
sciences executive Order No. 625, s. 1980)
reorganized the National Science Development
Board and its agencies into a National Science and
Technology Authority to provide central direction
and coordination of scientific and technological
research and development. (Executive Order No.
784, s. 1982)
granted salary increases to the people with
teaching positions in the Philippine Science High
School due to their necessity in the advancement
of national science. (Executive Order No. 810, s.
1982)
enacted a law on the completion of the National
Agriculture and Life Sciences Research Complex at
the University of the Philippines at Los Baños.
(Executive Order No. 840, s. 1982)
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Cory Aquino Administrative
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1986
National Science and Technology Authority was
replaced by the Department of Science and
Technology, giving science and technology a
representation in the cabinet
1987-1992, science and technology's role in
economic recovery and sustained economic
growth was highlighted
science and technology development shall be one
of the top three priorities of the government
towards an economic recovery
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August 8, 1988
Presidential Task Force for Science and Technology
which came up with the first Science and
Technology Master Plan or STMP
- for the Philippines to achieve newly industrialized
country status by the year 2000
- Congress did not put much priority in handling
bills related to science and technology
Senate Committee on Science and Technology was
one of the committees that handles the least
amount of bills for deliberation
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Ramos Administrative
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noticeable improvements
3,000- 3,500 competent scientists and engineers
scholarships for students who were taking up
professions related to S&T. Schools
Health care services through local programs such
as "Doctors to the Barrio Program."
health care programs were innovative and
effective as shown by the change in life expectancy
from 67.5 years in 1992 to 69.1 years in 1995
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Estrada Administration
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signed Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 (Republic
Act No. 8749) which was designed to protect and
preserve the environment and ensure the
sustainable development of its natural resources
Electronic Commerce Act of 2000 (Republic Act No.
8792) which outlaws computer hacking and
provides opportunities for new businesses
emerging from the Internet-driven New Economy
launched a full-scale program based on
cost-effective irrigation technologies
announced that Dole-outs are out, which meant
basic health care, basic nutrition, and useful
education for those who want, but cannot afford it
encouraged scientists and inventors to bring the
Philippines to its former position as second to only
Japan in the field of science and technology
to achieve the status as being an industrialized
country by 2000
urged that the private research sector form a
stronger bond between public research to help
jump-start the progress in the area of Philippine
Research and Development
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Science and Technology Master Plan
- aimed at the modernization of the production
sector, upgrading research activities, and
development of infrastructure for science and
technological purposes
research and Development Plan
- to examine and determine which areas of
research needed attention and must be given
priority
GMA administrative
criteria for identifying the program to be pursued
were, development of local materials, probability
of success, potential of product in the export
market, and the its strategic nature
grants for the research and development programs
was included in the Omnibus Investment Law
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would speed up the program to establish one
science high school in every province
passage of the Clean Air Act, and the decision to
pursue the 15-year modernization program of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines
pushed for the advancement of industries and
schools into the Internet age, as well as the
announcement of the passage of the e-Commerce
Act
"golden age" of science and technology by then
secretary Estrella Albastro
Numerous laws and projects that concerns both
the environment and science to push technology
as a tool to increase the country's economic level
"Filipinnovation"
imposes Republic Act 10601 which improves the
Agriculture and Fisheries Sector through
Mechanization (AFMech)
RA 10601 covers research, development, and
extension (RDE), promotion, distribution, supply,
assembling, manufacturing, regulation, use,
operation,
maintenance
and
project
implementation of agricultural and fisheries
machinery and equipment
BS Aquino Administrative
 conferred four new National Scientist for their
contribution in the Scientific field, Gavino C. Trono,
Angel C. Alcala, Ramon C. Barba, and Edgardo D.
Gomez
 Trono: extensive studies he made on seaweed
species
 Alcala:
coral reefs AND in the fields of
systematics, secology and herpetology
 Barba: seasonal supply of fresh fruits to an all
year-round availability of mangoes
 Gomez: national-scale assessment of damage coral
reefs
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Paradigm Shift in Science
understanding
of
evolution
from
being
goal-oriented to Charles Darwin’s theory of natural
selection
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switch from Newtonian physics to Einstein’s theory
of relativity
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First
prior to the 19th century the prevailing belief in
evolution was that a species evolved as needed –
that the giraffe developed a long neck because it
was necessary to reach the fruits in tall trees
Darwin showed in his On the Origin of Species
(1859) that there is no intentionality behind
evolution – that a system of natural selection took
place whereby those who could not adapt, simply
grew extinct, and what we were left with were the
ones that survived, which naturally reproduced
more of its kind
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PDU 30
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signing of the Balik Scientist law by President
Rodrigo Roa Duterte on 15 June 2018
Republic Act No. 11035
give more incentives to returning Filipino experts,
scientists, inventors, and engineers who would
share their expertise in the country
strengthen the implementation of the Department
of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Balik Scientist
Program
sharing of expertise significantly contributed to the
acceleration of the scientific, agro-industrial and
economic development of the country
declared the protection of the environment as a
top priority
mining industry AND BORACAY
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Paradigm shift
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originated in science
a fundamental change in the understanding of the
underlying
assumptions,
practices
and
methodology of a given framework
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Thomas Kuhn
changes the scientific theory itself and modified
the way in which it seeks to understand reality
not limited to academics
whether it violates the morality or ethical
standards
requires evidence if it ably supported by a theory
or theories
lead to the conceptualization of a theory or a
scientific law
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Second
Einstein’s Theory of Relativity expanded our
understanding of gravity to essentially explain all
the anomalies in Newtonian physics,
namely that gravity was an attribute of the
space-time curvature, and not an actual force
between two bodies
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In society
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The biggest shift is the introduction of the Internet
and the personal computer which has changed the
way most cultures conduct business, connect to
each other and find/spread information
shifts in the idea of the nuclear family and the rise
of women in the workforce have changed the way
we live, work and procreate, paving the way for
other forms of family units such as blended
families, extended families or even same-sex
wedded couples
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In business and/or Technology
there is a paradigm shift happening now with the
advent of cloud computing, where software
infrastructure is provided as a service rather than
as an implemented product
The sharing economy and the gig economy are two
more models which have “disrupted” traditional
working models, made possible by the use of
mobile smartphones and apps
Science Progresses Through Paradigm Shifts
Kuhn’s theory of paradigm shifts
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Kuhn’s claim that in a paradigm shift the reality
that is being studied changes is highly controversial
critics argue that this “non-realist” point of view
leads to a sort of relativism, and hence to the
conclusion that scientific progress has nothing to
do with getting closer to the truth
Kuhn says he still believes in scientific progress
science does not progress in an even way,
gradually accumulating knowledge and deepening
its explanations
disciplines alternate between periods of normal
science conducted within a dominant paradigm,
and periods of revolutionary science when an
emerging crisis requires a new paradigm
means a significant change in theory or practice
introduction of high definition TVs, or the
acceptance of gay marriage
Paradigm shift
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geocentric theory of Claudius Ptolemy
philosophers and the powerful Church
Aristarchus to Nicolas Copernicus’ HELIOCENTRIC
THEORY
Copernicus’ theory was a heretical one
Copernicus and other scientists had to endure a
long journey of scorn from influential people
SCIENTIFIC METHOD
CLASSICAL MECHANICS – ISAAC NEWTON
MENDELIAN INHERITANCE
SPONTANEOUS GENERATION TO HETEROGENESIS
(ARISTOTLE)
VAN HELMONT – REDI - SPALLANZANI
LOUIS PASTEUR PUT TO REST ARTISTOTLE’S
THEORY