Scientific Literacy
For students to make all-important connections between the life and physical sciences, they must acquire a coherent, “central core” of science content. To be scientifically literate means being able to read and understand a variety of science texts, to form valid conclusions from them, and to participate in meaningful discussions about scientific issues.
“There is no point teaching students to think critically about global warming if they don’t know the basics of planetary energy balance.” (Trefil, 2008, pp. 176-177)
This doesn’t mean they need to know everything about an issue before they can think critically about it. However, if they don’t know the essential science concepts that inform an issue, then they are at the mercy, in any argument, of those who do. This is scientific literacy.
Scientific literacy involves all of the following :
This course places particular emphasis on scientific literacy as one of its main aims.
“There is no point teaching students to think critically about global warming if they don’t know the basics of planetary energy balance.” (Trefil, 2008, pp. 176-177)
This doesn’t mean they need to know everything about an issue before they can think critically about it. However, if they don’t know the essential science concepts that inform an issue, then they are at the mercy, in any argument, of those who do. This is scientific literacy.
Scientific literacy involves all of the following :
- Scientific literacy is the knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts and processes required for personal decision making (e.g. health), participation in civic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity.
- Scientific literacy means that a person can ask, find, or determine answers to questions derived from curiosity about everyday experiences.
- It means that a person has the ability to describe, explain, and predict natural phenomena.
- Scientific literacy entails being able to read with understanding articles about science in the popular press and to engage in social conversation about the validity of the conclusions.
- Scientific literacy implies that a person can identify scientific issues underlying national and local decisions and express positions that are scientifically and technologically informed.
- A literate citizen should be able to evaluate the quality of scientific information on the basis of its source and the methods used to generate it.
- Scientific literacy also implies the capacity to pose and evaluate arguments based on evidence and to apply conclusions from such arguments appropriately.
This course places particular emphasis on scientific literacy as one of its main aims.