Situating Socio-scientific Issues in Classrooms as a Means of Achieving Goals of Science Education

Abstract

In considering what the science education community ought to be doing in terms of curricular and pedagogical innovations, teacher education, and research, I believe the field must consider two fundamental questions: (1) what should the goals of science education be and (2) how can these goals best be achieved? The question of what the goals of science education ought to be has been a long-standing issue. Debates on the meaning and purpose of scientific literacy have consistently explored this territory. Although the science education community is fairly united in its call to enhance scientific literacy for all students, there is considerably less agreement as to what constitutes scientific literacy. This volume does not take up the challenge of mapping out the landscape of scientific literacy; Doug Roberts’ (2007) chapter in the latest Handbook on Research in Science Education does an excellent job of summarizing and synthesizing the varied perspectives on this contentious construct.