Reaching a Consensus on the Definition of Genetic Literacy that Is Required from a Twenty-First-Century Citizen

Dirk Jan Boerwinkel,Arend Jan Waarlo,Anat Yarden

doi:10.1007/s11191-017-9934-y

Dirk Jan Boerwinkel, Arend Jan Waarlo + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-017-9934-y

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Abstract

To determine what knowledge of genetics is needed for decision-making on genetic-related issues, a consensus-reaching approach was used. An international group of 57 experts, involved in teaching, studying, or developing genetic education and communication or working with genetic applications in medicine, agriculture, or forensics, answered the questions: “What knowledge of genetics is relevant to those individuals not professionally involved in science?” and “Why is this knowledge relevant?” The answers were classified in different knowledge components following the PISA 2015 science framework. During a workshop with the participants, the results were discussed and applied to seven cases in which genetic knowledge is relevant for decision-making. The analysis of these discussions resulted in a revised framework consisting of nine conceptual knowledge components, three sociocultural components, and four epistemic components. The framework can be used in curricular decisions; its open character allows for including new technologies and applications and facilitates comparisons of different cases.

Highlights

Genetics has evolved from a unique subdiscipline of biology into an integral part of most biological research, covering multiple levels of biological organization
& The new category of polygenic inheritance (Table 1, category K) was combined with the existing category of environmental influence (Table 1, category 9): BMultiple genes and multiple environmental factors interact in the development of most traits.^ This category was considered by several participants as the core message of genetic literacy
Based on the results, according to the participants of this study, the following answer can be given to the research question Bwhich genetic knowledge is needed for decision-making on genetic-related issues?.^ Genetic literacy can be described by the three aforementioned types of knowledge, with the knowledge components presented in Tables 1, 2, and 3

Summary

Introduction

Genetics has evolved from a unique subdiscipline of biology into an integral part of most biological research, covering multiple levels of biological organization. Results from studies in genetics influence societal practices, such as disease diagnosis and treatment, drug development, industrial production, forensic investigation, crop protection, and sports. Images of genes and genomes have changed fundamentally, and the time might come when personal genome analysis will become standard practice (Gelbart 2012). Few of these developments are addressed in biology education: The gap between scientific understanding of genetics and what is taught in genetic education in schools has increased (Dougherty et al 2011). To provide an appropiate account of genetics for our future citizens, this study is aimed at defining the term genetic literacy

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