A Qualitative Case Study of Socio-Scientific Reasoning in the En-ROADS Climate Simulation

Addressing climate change requires an understanding not only of science concepts but also the social, economic, and political factors that influence decision making. Thus, this study investigated the development of socio-scientific reasoning related to climate change action. This case study explored the six dimensions of socio-scientific reasoning (complexity, perspective-taking, inquiry, skepticism, affordance of science, and multiple perspective-taking) of twenty undergraduate students as they engaged with decision making about climate action. Data were collected from classroom worksheets reflecting small group decision making and individual student reflections. Data were analyzed using a rubric that categorized the level of students’ socio-scientific reasoning across the six dimensions. These categorizations were further supported by qualitative interpretation of students’ responses. The findings indicate strong performance in complexity and perspective-taking, while inquiry, skepticism, and the affordance of science were less consistently demonstrated. The study contributes to understanding how simulation-based learning can support the development of SSR and highlights the importance of structured pedagogical design in fostering higher order reasoning in climate education.