Development and validation of an instrument for measuring civic scientific literacy

Abstract

Civic scientific literacy (CSL) is a fundamental indicator of social development and national literacy and is very important for personal well-being and national competitiveness. To be in line with the technological advancements and demands of the current era, we focused on “science engagement”, which is now considered an important approach to enhance the CSL of the general public, and developed a 4-dimensional CSL assessment framework based on the crucial elements for citizens to engage in science. The 4 dimensions are scientific knowledge (SK), scientific method (SM), problem-solving (PS), and scientific thought and spirit of science (STSS). With this framework, a CSL measurement instrument including 50 items was developed. Various validity evidence, including evidence with reliability close to or exceeding 0.8 for all four dimensions, supports the use of the instrument to provide a valuation of CSL. Age, location type (urban or rural), educational background, and occupation are all significant factors associated with CSL.