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PARADIGMS Ln COLLISION: I-IISTORICAL and PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES on TEACHING the NEW GLOBAL TECTONICS

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PARADIGMS Ln COLLISION: I-IISTORICAL and PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES on TEACHING the NEW GLOBAL TECTONICS PARADIGMS lN COLLISION: I-IISTORICAL and PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES on TEACHING the NEW GLOBAL TECTONICS John James Murray A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies ln Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Education The University of Manitoba Faculty of Education Department of Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning October 2002 @ John James Murray,2002 THE UNIVERSITY OF MA.NITOBA FACIILTY OF GI.AD*UATE STUDIES COPYRIGHT PERMISSION PAGE PHTT'OSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES PARADIGMS IN COLLISION: HISTORICAL AND ON TEACHING TET. NEW GLOBAL TECTOMCS BY JOHN JAMES MURRAY studies of The university A Thesis/Practicum submitted to the Faculty of Graduate ofManitobainpartialfulfillmentoftherequirementsofthedegree of Master of Education JOHN JAMES MURRAY @ 2OO2 Manitoba to lend or sell copies of this permission has been granted to the Library of rhe university to microfilm-of this thesis and to lend or sell copies thesis/practicum, to ihe Nationar Library äf cana¿a ofthefilm,andtouniversityMicrofilnlnc.topublishanabstractofthisthesis/practicum' neither this thesis/practicum nor extensive extracts The author reserves other pubrication rights, and the author's written permission' from it may be printed or ãtherwise reproduced without TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract Acknowledgements Dedications List of Tables List of Figures. .. ... ....vi ListofPlates...... ...........vii 1.0 INTRODUCTION I.I TOWARDS A PLANETARY PERSPECTIVE IN SCIENCE EDUCATION: A PROLEGOMENA 1.2 BACKGROLIND AND JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PRESENT EXPLORATION ...... 7 1.2.1 WHY GEOLOGY?.. ...........8 T.2.2 WHAT COMES BEFORE US IN CURRICULUM TODAY.. .........1I _ I.2.3 HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE IS IT TIME AGAIN? ........ .. .. ....13 1,2.4 WHAT DO WE MEAN BY "PARADIGMS iN COLLISION"? . ., , .. .... 16 1.2.5 A PERSONAL COMPULSION TO V/ALK THIS PATH OF CONTROVERSY........18 1.3 THE GUTDING QUESTTONS . ...........23 1.4 LIMITATIONS OF THE EXPLORATION ............24 I.5 GUIDING ASSUMPTIONS OF THE STUDY ..... ............25 NOTES, CHAPTER I .... ..........27 2.0 A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 2.1 INTRODUCTION .........2s 2.2 CONNECTIONS TO CURRENTS IN THE HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE ... .. .. 30 2,2.1 THE ROLE OF HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE, TEACHER PRACTICE, ORV/HyHISTORYMATTERS ........_...._..-.._... ...........32 2.2.2 WHOSE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE? ... ...............36 2.2.3 IS THERE A PHILOSOPHY OF GEOLOGY TO SHARE WITH STUDENTS? ,.......38 2.2.4 WHAT IS HAPPENING IN GEOLOGY CLASSROOMS NOW? ....,.42 2.3 THE CONTEXTS OF DISCOVERY, JUSTIFICATION, and a SEARCH FoR AN HpS MODEL. ........-... .._. _... ........45 2.3,1 THE PLURALIST MODEL OF MONK AND OSBORNE....... .,......47 2.4 INTEGRATING THE HISTORY AI.{D NATURE OF SCIENCE INTO THE GEOLOGY CLASSROOM..... SOME 2.5 CURRENT EFFORTS IN TEACHING THE HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE NEW GLOBAL TECTONICS. ........60 2.6 iDENTIFYING TWO COLLIDING PARADIGMS IN 2O'N CENTURY GEOLOGY FOR STUDENTS, AND KUHN'S ANALYSIS OF SCIENTIFIC CHANGE... ... ... ... 63 2.6.1 TOWARDS A CLASSROOM-BASED KUFINIAN PI{ILOSOPHY OF GEOLOGY.. NOTES, CHAPTER 2 ðJ 3.0 THE EMERGENCE OF DUALITY IN GEOLOGY 3.I HISTOzuCAL DEVELOPMENT oF PLATE TECTONICS: THE COLLISION OF TWO GREAT PARADIGMS ...... ......87 3.2 THE INITIAL COLLISION - CONTINENTAL DRIFT THEORIES AND THE RESPONSE TO THE MOBILISTS IN THE PERIOD _ l9t5 1950. ..........e1 3.3 THE SECOND CONVERGENCE - NEW EVIDENCE FOR MOBILiSM IN THE PEzuOD 1950 - I960 .. ..THE RESPONSE OF THE FIXISTS .. ... ...98 3.4 J. TUZO WILSON - PLURALIST THINKER AND CANADIAN ICONiNGLOBALTECTONICS.. ..........I05 3.5 VLADIMIR V. BELOUSSOV - ENTRENCHED CONTINENTAL CONSERVATISM OR THE REMOTENESS OF THE RUSSIAN ARCHIPELAGO? ......I09 3-6 STRUGGLE AND REVOLUTION:THE pERIoD 1966 _ tgl5 AND THE EMERGENCE OF THE NEW S\}ITHESIS OF PLATE TECTONICS .. ....T\2 NOTES, CHAPTER 3 ..1 19 4.0 COLLIDING PARADIGMS - A MODEL FOR TEACHING THE NEW GLOBAL TECTONICS 4.1 DEVELOPING AN APPROACH TO TEACHING THE GEOSCIENCE REVOLUTION TO STUDENTS ....123 4.1.1 ELEMENTSOFTHEMODEL ..............127 4.2 RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THE FIVE ELEMENTS IN THE MODEL - AN EXAMPLE FOR TEACHERS AND CURzuCULUM DEVELOPERS u:l*o rN rHE NEw cLoBAL rEcroNrcs ":: :ER::ECrlvES . ..... 138 4.2.1 EXAMPLE DEVELOPMENT USING THE MODEL ...... ...........I4I NOTES, CHAPTER 4...... .......t55 5.0 SUMMARY AND IMPLICATIONS 5.1 DlscussroN ......t57 5.2 IMPLICATIONS FOR FUTURE PRACTICES IN GEOLOGICAL EDUCATION...... ......163 5.3 POSSIBLE BARzuERS - TEACHER DEVELOPMENT ........166 5.4 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ,...169 REFERENCES ......115 APPENDIX'A' : DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS .. ...191 APPENDIX'B' : SAMPLES OF STUDENT ASSESSMENTS. .....Tg7 APPENDIX'C' : THE GEOTECTONIC CREDO.. ,..........214 ABSTRACT The latter half of the 20th century has been witness to a dramatic shift in the guiding assumptions in our understanding of the dynamics of Earth's crust. Historically, the debate about global tectonics has subsisted in a rivalry between two competing conceptual systems - the "paradigm collision" of fixism and mobilism. The new synthesis of plate tectonics, derived from the mobilist tradition, is the currently accepted model supporting theory, practice, and education in the geosciences. Historians and philosophers of science have taken an interest in the events that led to the emergence of the new global tectonics, and in large measure have viewed this episode in the history of science in terms of a "scientific revolution" in the manner of Thornas Kuhn's paradigm approach in his The Structure of Scientìfic Revolutions. Since the teaching of plate tectonics occurs in virtually all compulsory science education in Canada, the pedogogical potential exists for this great "science story'' to be told through the complimentary lenses of the history and philosophy of science (HPS) in the classroom. With increased ernphasis in science education on the roles of evidence, argument, appreciation of the nature of science, the development of scientific knowledge, and the importance of how major conceptual shifts revolutionize scientif,rc discourse, it is desirable to construct a teaching and learning model that inco¡porates these elements into the teaching of tectonics. By focusing on the fixism / rnobilism controversy that developed in geology over the years 1910 - 1975, students can be offered a pathrvay along which HpS perspectives can be introduced in a meaningful, accessible way. The model developed here includes five elements that can be connected to the learning cycle, constructivist pedagogy, and the phases of a Kuhnian treatment of the geological revolution: recognition, elicilation, paradignt collision, conceptual reconstruction, and resolution and emergence. The motivation for this approach lies in ameliorating two endemic situations: 1) distorted or incomplete historical treatment in standard textbook-oriented learning that results in biased historiography, and; 2) "quasi-constructivist" methods that initially value student conceptions, but eventually work to instill a "scientific correctness" that declares one side of the argument superior and sophisticated, and the unsuccessful paradigm naiVe and proto-scientific. A detailed case study of how the five elements in the model could be made operational is outlined, including implications for teacher development, field validation, and avenues for further research. Ultimately, the question that is to be answered as a result of this pathway is "why do I accept plate lectonics? " ACKNOWLBDGEMENTS 'Tn times of change, the learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equtpped to live in a world that no /onger exists.', (Anonymous) I offer my sincere gratitude to my senior advisor, Professor Arthur Stinner, and my committee rnembers, Drs. Barbara McMillan and Robert Renaud - all of the University of Manitoba. Each brought to this project a unique set of talents and perspectives, and I am particularly impressed with the amount of careful reading that was undertaken by these faculty. To Geny Smerchanski, of Teulon, Manitoba, who kept company with me in endless and illuminating "symposia", capturing the authentic spirit of what that word truly means for geologists. Without his penetrating insights and boundless memory for fìne details of events, this project would have remained in some future's hands. To a dear colleague of mine, Steven Boyko of St. Boniface Diocesan High School in winnipeg, Manitoba, who was initially alarmed by some of my interests, but soon realized that patience would be the order of the day in working with rne. My work there is left undone, and the successes that I had there subsist entirely in the accomplishments of my students. And to the Blessed Mother, the very flower of creation....and the One who dared to say "yes". llt DEDICATIOI\S "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started, and know the placefor thefirst time.,' -- T. S. Elior To my wife, Lorraine..... ...who is the most honest person I have ever known, and sees through everything that I do and hope to do, including what lies in these pages; she is my one, my Love, and rny Inspiration when all else seems to be pointless... To my family.... ....to rny Mother and Father, James and Anne, my first teachers in all things that are possible, from thrciwing a baseball to singing the Psalms.. .and to those little ones, Nicole Marie, Tyler Jarnes, and Mikhaela Danielle, who are my sources of endless awe and wonder about what is possible. They constantly remind
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