Science
In this section, opinions and news about researchers and innovators in different areas of science, technology, and art are presented.
"Everything changes incessantly, both the individual and his surroundings, whether organic or inorganic, terrestrial, marine, or cosmic (...)"
Miguel C. Botella López
Professor Emeritus at the University of Granada
"Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution"
That phrase, the fortunate title of a famous article by the Russian-Ukrainian T. Dobzhanski, published in 1973, has become a paradigm; it is repeated over and over again like a mantra and has actually come to be considered a dogma of science.
The concept of evolution stands as the foundation stone upon which the edifice of the different life sciences is built. Its most basic explanatory level, the essential core, is the concept of permanent change, a general law that can be applied to everything we can perceive, not just to living beings. In the world of life, this permanent change, evolution, is nothing more and nothing less than an inherent and defining quality of life.
We were taught from a young age that living beings are characterised by being born, growing, reproducing, and dying. That is clear, but it must be added that they also change permanently, day by day, hour by hour, and even second by second.
Everything changes incessantly, both the individual and his surroundings, whether organic or inorganic, terrestrial, marine, or cosmic, without any discernible direction, but rather an undeniable tendency towards diversity.
If variations are continuous and occur without interruption, they also constantly generate new forms. When we study the universe, the Earth, or living beings from their origins, we can clearly see that complexity has increased over time. However, if we focus only on this variable, we may mistakenly assume that there is a disposition towards it, which is not the case.
We forget that new forms constantly emerge, ranging from the most basic to the most complicated. That is, an omnidirectional expansion occurs unstoppably, like a drop of oil spreading over an uneven surface.
In reality, as Lamarck indicated, nature does not create orders, genera, or species, but rather beings that succeed one another without interruption. We are the ones who invent, in accordance with our mental structure inherited from Aristotle and Descartes, those classification boxes where we try to compartmentalise the infinite variety of life, in order to organise it through reason.
Another thing is the explanation of the hows and whys of evolution, of the intrinsic and extrinsic mechanisms that direct and modulate it—something truly fascinating, but not the subject of these few words.
Since the fixist explanation offered by the Bible, the concept has changed extraordinarily in scientific and even religious fields. However, the origin of everything, and especially the role of a higher entity in it, is now being debated, with opposing positions and no sign of a solution. The problem remains, for now, impossible to clarify from a scientific perspective. Prominent scientists and theologians debate, sometimes passionately and sometimes driven by the never-desirable principle of authority, the existence or nonexistence of a creator who could explain this unfathomable mystery.
In any case, although it might seem that the concept of evolution should not pose problems for its assumption, at least at the basic level cited, the truth is that well over half the world does not admit it and even vehemently rejects it. Strictly speaking, only the Western or Westernised world accepts it as an unquestionable truth, and even then, not generally.
Fixism, creationism, catastrophism, or evolution are cultural constructs; we humans have created them, and each of them —there are many more— serves as an explanatory system for the societies that developed them, and they persist as long as they are sufficient to interpret and understand the challenges their people face.
"In the teaching profession, you come into daily contact with students and create a relationship that in many cases is characterised by trust and respect."
Inger Damlin
President of the Finnish Association
of Swedish Teachers, FSL
Teachers ensure the future
Being a teacher is a great profession. You have the privilege of working daily with growing children and young people, following them a little along the way and seeing them grow on many levels. As a teacher, you make the difference. Chances are, most of us have a teacher who has played a role in one way or another in our lives. In the teaching profession, you come into daily contact with students and create a relationship that in many cases is characterised by trust and respect. A relationship that supports each learning path and each individual's opportunity to grow.
Teachers have mainly chosen their profession for the same reason that their work should matter for the future. Students' learning and learning path are absolutely central to the teacher's task. The core of the profession is getting to know students, guiding them on the learning path and participating in the learning process. In today's school, the mission has changed. Increasingly, teachers have become more than just teachers. Nausea in children and young people is visible at school. Support services, such as counselors and psychologists, are in short supply, which in turn means that teachers end up in the spotlight. Teachers are professionals at teaching, but the lack of support services means that the teaching burden is increasing.
The coronavirus pandemic reshaped schools and education on many levels. Overnight, school went digital, evening teaching was done remotely. I would say that not all teachers had the best conditions for the transition, but despite that, all teachers were successful in this transformation. The extensive research-based education that underpins teacher education in the country proved worth its weight in gold in a crisis situation. At the same time, there is a strong teaching staff in our teaching staff. The student and students are focused at all times.
Fortunately, the teaching staff was recognized in many ways for their efforts during the pandemic. The teaching staff were the heroes that matter in vulnerable situations. The resilience, flexibility and adaptability shown by teachers demonstrate how important it is that the backbone of society is maintained.
During the pandemic, society also saw that school is more than just teaching, the importance of school in the welfare society is central on many levels. Parents who, in parallel with their own work, ended up somehow supervising or supervising homework were very overwhelmed. Growing children and young people who thrive on routines, security and continuity were put in an uncomfortable position. The consequences of the pandemic will be visible for a long time in schools, education and society. Student health staff shortages during the pandemic and post-pandemic years further exacerbate the situation.
The post-pandemic period in our schools has been characterized by widespread nausea among students and students combined with great frustration at the lack of support functions. Teachers' coping has been undermined when, in addition to their own task, they have been forced to act as some kind of caregiver. It is not fair to students that teachers are not allowed to be teachers, and it is certainly not fair to teachers not to be teachers. Studies show that teachers in this situation have supported each other. Collegial support has played an important role in teachers' coping. The sense of community at the university, supporting and helping each other in everyday life can be seen as a protective factor in difficult situations, but not as a factor that would offset all the burden that is actually placed on teachers.
From the school’s transition in the spring of 2020, there are, of course, elements worth considering in everyday life and future school development. Very quickly, teachers realised that part of learning occurs in the human-learning relationship, where supervision is central. A high teacher-to-teacher ratio is needed to support each student’s learning path where support is truly necessary. Interaction is essential. The digitalisation of teaching has received a major forward momentum, and parts of it are here to stay. The lower grades are less affected, whereas the upper grades are better able to take advantage of opportunities provided by digitalisation.
The debate about digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI) is robust. We have every reason to be critical of what is worth including in the future school. Healthy school development with good learning outcomes and teachers requires analysis. Unfortunately, the analytical perspective has only emerged now that many municipalities have already established a path for digital learning.
Being a teacher in 2023 means following the post-pandemic path. You must interact with an ever-changing world while simultaneously safeguarding the school’s core tasks. Being a teacher today means having time to address an individual’s unique needs. To achieve the best possible results in this work, you must safeguard and maintain good cooperation between home and school. The fact that the profession is burning out is nothing to scoff at; it is a real problem that must be taken seriously. It all starts with a good teacher, and a good teacher has a lot of energy. A good start in life is guaranteed for children and young people!