Investigating level of the scientific literacy of primary school teacher candidates

Over the past fifty years, the concept of scientific literacy was introduced to the science education community by Hurd (1958) and McCurdy (1958). There has been considerable debate over the various meanings entailed by the use of this term and the associated aims for teaching science (Shamos, 1995; Laugksch, 2000; Fensham, 2002; Roberts, 1983, 2007a). Scientific literacy and several closely related terms, like science literacy or public understanding of science, are very much a part of the landscape of science education writing and research of the past half century.

While few people argue against the value or the proposition of scientific literacy, no ultimate consensus has been reached on its definition (Roberts, 2007b). According to Hurd (1998: 410), “Scientific literacy is seen as a civic competency required for rational thinking about science in relation to personal, social, political, economical problems and issues that one is likely to meet throughout life.” In a much earlier analysis of this concept, Roberts (1983) suggested that scientific literacy “has had so many interpretations that it now means virtually everything to do with science education” (p. 22) and that it had “come to be an umbrella concept to signify comprehensiveness in the purposes of science teaching in the schools” (p. 29).

Especially during the early 1960s, scientific literacy was primarily a concept about curriculum goals. It suggests in very broad terms that the overall character of what school science should be about and what it should emphasize about science. The means of scientific literacy, as a concept, may vary from day-to-day, but the fact remains that “scientific literacy” still occupies a central position in the rationale and statement of aims for many contemporary curriculum reform projects (e.g. AAAS, 1989,1993, 2001; NRC, 1996; CMEC, 1997; Millar & Osborne, 1998; OECD, 1999; Ministry of Education (MEB), 2006; Wei & Thomas, 2006; Millar, 2008).

Since the 1960s, educational reform has become a continuous worldwide movement in order to promote students’ literacy in different disciplines. Along the same trend, Turkey started its educational reform at universities in 1997. And finally, in 2004, the primary school curriculum has been changed. But as in the previous curriculum, the new curriculum has scientific literacy among its main purpose.

All people need some science education so that they can think, speak and act on social and science related issues, which influences their quality of life (Solomon, 2001). Therefore, a student can’t become a scientifically literate person without knowing some science, and everyone agrees that the concept needs to include some other types of understanding about science (Roberts, 2007a; 2007b). The differences in definition have to do with just what, how much, for whom, and in what sort of conceptual balance.

Universities, as other schools, are one of the places that prepare the students for the real world and real life. In realizing this aim, universities must help their students gain scientific literacy abilities and to grow scientific literate citizens. Therefore, science in our schools and universities must be for all students. National Science Education Standards (NRC, 1996) describe science standards for all students, “regardless of age, gender, cultural or ethnic background, disabilities, aspirations, or interest and motivation in science” (p.2) and “all students ...should have the opportunity to attain high levels of scientific literacy” (p.20).

In the Turkish context, primary school teacher candidates’ high school backgrounds areas varied. However, their training program at the faculty of education is comprised of some science courses, such as biology, physics, chemistry and science laboratory practice. All student teachers have experienced the disciplines of physics, biology and chemistry during university. These teachers are also eligible to teach science courses at the primary schools. There has been some evidence that teacher candidates have graduated without some crucial characteristics of scientific literacy (Çepni, 1997; Çepni & Bacanak, 2002), and they do not associate the science curriculum and everyday life (Ayas, Karamustafaoğlu, Sevim & Karamustafaoğlu, 2001).

It is essential to understand the levels of scientific literacy held by primary school teacher candidates if the goal is to have a scientifically literate population in the next generation. The purpose of this study is twofold; (1) to determine the level of primary school teacher candidates’ scientific literacy acquired with the current science education, and (2) to find out whether there is a relationship between gender and level of scientific literacy.