Defining Scientific Literacy

1. Defining ScientificLiteracy

2. National ScienceEducation Standards Scientific literacy requires “knowledge and understand-ing of scientific concepts and processes ... for personal decision making, participating in civic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity.”

3. Project 2061: Science for all Americans “The scientifically literate person is one who is aware that science, mathematics, and technology are interdependent human enterprises with strengths and limitations;

4. understands the key concepts and principles of science; is familiar with the natural world and recognizes both its diversity and unity; and uses scientific knowledge and scientific ways of thinking for individual and social purposes.”

5. Illinois Learning Standards “Science is the quest for objective truth. It provides a conceptual framework for the understanding of natural phenomena and their causes and effects.

6. Among the purposes of the study of science is the development of students who are scientifically knowledgeable, understand that modern technological growth is an outcome of the scientific enterprise;

7. knows the difference between objective fact and subjective values, and can apply scientific thinking and information in problem solving and decision making.”

8. Scientifically Literate? • Are we scientifically literate? • How many Americans can do what the definitions suggest? • Only 6.9% of Americans are scientifically literate at the lowest level – term recognition Per Jon Miller at NIU

9. US Citizens Not SL • During March 2010, reporter John Stossel recruited people in Times Square (NYC) to sign a petition banning dihydrogen monoxide. See petition. • 80% of those solicited signed the petition to ban – water.

10. The Outlook: • In the US 50 - 60 year olds are the most SL: • those 70 - 80 have low rate. • those 20 - 30 have low rate. • In foreign countries, SL decreases with age. • Implications are profound.

11. Scientific Literacy • not easy to define • Dewey all the way down to... • current reform movements • several types • cultural or nominal (recognition of terms) • functional (use of scientific/technical terms) • conceptual/procedural (concepts/processes) • multidimensional (nature of science, social context, differentiates science from other ways of knowing)

12. Common Elements • content knowledge • facts • vocabulary • concepts • skills • manipulative • intellectual • dispositions • attitudes • behaviors

13. What is worth knowing? • personal needs • societal needs • global needs

14. How should one think? • logically • independently • objectively • skeptically • critically • rationally

15. Benefits of SL: • develop effective solutions to problems • foster intelligent respect for nature • avoid being prey to dogmatists • assess use of new technologies

16. The Problems: Science teachers not oriented toward achieving SL emphasize: • answers over questions • memory over thought • recitation over argument • reading over doing

17. Teaching Problems: • little metacognition going on • teaching versus learning • training versus educating • failure to determine essential content • teaching topically, not thematically • focusing on low-order skills • poor assessment skills/programs • emphasizing breadth over depth

18. Other Problems: Science & math voluntary • most pupils take biology in HS • 45% take chemistry in HS • 23% take physics in HS • 10% take no algebra • 6% take calculus

19. More Problems: • Minorities, girls, and non-college-bound students are under-represented in math/sci • Personal relativism has become a societal problem

20. We are all responsible for... the current state of affairs • breadth over depth • seatwork over activity • memorization over critical thinking • recitation over well-reasoned argument making necessary changes.