Abstract
It is widely agreed upon that the goal of science education is building a scientifically literate society. Although there are a range of definitions for science literacy, most involve an ability to problem solve, make evidence-based decisions, and evaluate information in a manner that is logical. Unfortunately, science literacy appears to be an area where we struggle across levels of study, including with students who are majoring in the sciences in university settings. One reason for this problem is that we have opted to continue to approach teaching science in a way that fails to consider the critical assumptions that faculties in the sciences bring into the classroom. These assumptions include expectations of what students should know before entering given courses, whose responsibility it is to ensure that students entering courses understand basic scientific concepts, the roles of researchers and teachers, and approaches to teaching at the university level. Acknowledging these assumptions and the potential for action to shift our teaching and thinking about post-secondary education represents a transformative area in science literacy and preparation for the future of science as a field.
Highlights
Science literacy is a concept that is simple in theory yet has been a challenge to describe in terms of practice
We enter our courses with high expectations of student background and fundamental knowledge, and some are quick to place the burden on secondary education science teachers to ensure that our students are up to par, rather than taking the needed steps to ensure that the gaps are filled
Is that controversial topics, such as evolution, are taught in ways that are incomplete, taught side-by-side with non-scientific alternatives, or avoided all together
Summary
Science literacy is a concept that is simple in theory yet has been a challenge to describe in terms of practice. We want all students, regardless of level, to leave their science courses with the critical skills needed to make decisions based on logic and to understand the processes that underlie the science they come across in the news and in daily life We expect those leaving our programs in post-secondary education to be exemplary of science literacy in both thinking and practice. There are students entering—and leaving—undergraduate programs of study with inadequate, or absent, comprehension of science as a way of knowing—how it is conducted, the philosophical and historical frameworks of our modern understandings, and science as a self-correcting set of process skills It is a shared responsibility of secondary and post-secondary faculties to ensure that science literacy is a priority and that approaches to teaching across levels strive to meet that goal. It is imperative that we take what we have learned from science education and continue to revisit how we represent and approach science and scientific literacy in higher education
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