Interface Between Science and Faith Values in Movies with a Focus on the Use of Socio-scientific Issues (SSI) in an Australian Christian College

Abstract

With the re-emergence of values education and the need for critical information literacy as core skills in the school curriculum, science is viewed as one of the key teaching domains, and in particular, socio-scientific education is increasingly perceived as instrumental in authentically connecting students’ worlds to scientific worldviews, engaging them in the activity of science, developing nature of science understanding, fostering evidence-based reasoning, facilitating scientific literacy, fostering a sense of ethical caring, and promoting character in thinking about the social and natural world. In recognizing these trends as vital to strengthening learners’ twenty-first century skills, the Australian Curriculum added “Science as a Human Endeavour” strand. Science as a Human Endeavour refers to the nature and development of science and in society the use and influence of science. This study is unique in that it presents one of the few studies that demonstrates how socioscientific issues in movies can be used as tools for stimulating evidence-based reasoning and ethical thinking about societal issues and encouraging the reflection on values, including faith values promoted through the use or misuse of science and technology. Movies also provide an engaging yet powerful medium where students can explore science concepts and consider some of the pressing issues and ideas of our time. The widespread use of popular entertainment media could help to foster critical thinking and appraisal of media content by addressing the misconceptions and distinguishing “good” and” bad” science.