An analysis of the Public Scientific Literacy study in China

Abstract

In March 2006, the State Council of the People’s Republic of China issued The Outline of the Action Plan for Improving Scientific Literacy for All (From 2006—2010 and then 2010—2020) (the Scientific Literacy Outline), in which the official notion of scientific literacy named “Public Scientific Literacy in China” was put forward for the first time in the history of China. Subsequently, the program of “Study on Measurement Indicators of Scientific Literacy of Chinese Citizens and its Demonstration” was funded by the China Association for Science and Technology the following September. However, the notion as well as its measurement indicators still need more clarification. After reviewing some relevant literature and introducing the historical background to the concept of “Public Scientific Literacy in China” along with a detailed interpretation of its connotation, the authors do a closer examination of the measurement indicators established by the Research and Development Center for Science Communication at the University of Science and Technology of China, based on a systematical analysis of the sample surveys.