Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to integrate mathematical modeling and ecology by presenting an activity involving an authentic environmental problem, which is called “Pine Processionary Caterpillars Invasion.” Adopting Mathematical Modeling and Education for Climate Action (EfCA) approaches, it was aimed to encourage pre-service teachers (PSTs) to use the power of mathematical modeling processes to make inferences from data and evidence and make informed decisions by producing action plans to solve an ecological problem caused by climate change. The study was conducted with eight pre-service mathematics teachers and eight pre-service science teachers in a public university in Turkey. All PSTs worked as groups so that their mastery and thinking styles enriched each other. At the end of the activity, we noticed that some of the pre-service teachers confronted difficulties such as coming up with a working mathematical model, collecting real-world data from the pine forests, and efficiently computing steps of mathematical modeling without any errors. However, pre-service teachers could make use of the views of their working partners having different disciplines and appreciated the usefulness of mathematical modeling to solve an ecological problem. They also realized the interconnectedness of species and developed empathy for the welfare of society and nature.

摘要

本文的目的是通过展示一个涉及真实环境问题的活动来整合数学建模和生态学，该活动被称为“松树进程毛虫入侵”。采用数学建模和气候行动教育 (EfCA) 方法，旨在鼓励职前教师 (PST) 利用数学建模过程的力量从数据和证据中进行推断，并通过制定行动计划来解决气候变化引起的生态问题。该研究由土耳其一所公立大学的八名职前数学教师和八名职前科学教师进行。所有 PST 都以小组的形式工作，以便他们的掌握和思维方式相互丰富。在活动结束时，我们注意到一些职前教师面临的困难，例如提出一个可行的数学模型，从松树林中收集真实世界的数据，以及有效地计算数学建模的步骤而没有任何错误。然而，职前教师可以利用不同学科的工作伙伴的观点，并欣赏数学建模对解决生态问题的有用性。他们还意识到物种之间的相互联系，并对社会和自然的福祉产生了同理心。