Conceptual Understanding and Systems Thinking Skill in Carbon Neutralization in Farming Role Play Board Game for Science Teacher Professional Development

Abstract

Carbon Neutralization play the important criteria for the global air pollution problems, and it is the one of the sustainable development goals about air quality. The Carbon Neutralization concept is about the amount of Carbon dioxide (CO₂) absorption should equal the amount of CO₂ emission depending on the activity in any areas. The Farming Role Play Board Game was design for learning in Carbon Neutralization concept including activity card in theme color for CO₂ emission items in red, CO₂ absorption items in blue, and special items in green. Each item shows the amount of CO₂ from 10- 100 ppm and price from 10 – 500 coins. The participants were the 15 science teachers who teach in grade 7-9 in science subject in the western school area of Thailand. The group players, 3-4 teachers, role play to be a farmer who can produce plants, fruit and animals for buying and selling goods. At the game started every group received a budget 2,000 coins to buy any items in the board game. After that they had to play and learn by a random 9 events/rounds which occurred in the concept to calculate in balanced carbon and wrote the number in an activity’s worksheet. A winner should balance well in the amount of CO₂ in the last round. The board game engaged the teachers to learn the conceptual understanding in Carbon Neutralization. They reflected about the fundamental system thinking skills that the boardgame need the players to plan the number of plants, animals, alternative or clean energy effected to the amount of CO₂ in ppm, and they need to relate the component of absorption and emission activities. The events were the lesson to practice the system thinking skills, identify the farming problem, finding and feedback the relationship between absorption and emission. Furthermore, they need to be aware dynamic events that effect in every farm that reflect the responsibility for making the better place for the air quality.