Some Thoughts on Scientific
Literacy:
Motives, Meanings and Curriculum Implications
Derek HODSON
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
University of Toronto
Email: dhodson@oise.utoronto.ca
Contents
Introduction Professional Expertise or Civic Responsibility? Corporatism Versus Democracy? Politicizing the Curriculum Problems of Access References
Introduction
The shifting emphases of science education debate over the past 30-40 years is clearly reflected in the numerous slogans and rallying calls that have gained prominence, including "Being a Scientist for a Day" (from the early Nuffield science projects in the United Kingdom), "Learning by Doing", "Process, not Product", "Science for All" and "Children Making Sense of the World". From the mid-1990s onwards, much of the debate concerned another slogan - "Scientific Literacy", and how to achieve it. This particular debate shows little sign of slowing down or reaching resolution.
While scientific literacy has been almost universally welcomed as a desirable goal, there is still little clarity about its meaning (Jenkins, 1990; Eisenhart et al., 1996; Galbraith et al., 1997) and little agreement about precisely what it means in terms of curriculum provision. In one early attempt at clarification, Pella et al. (1966) suggested that scientific literacy comprises an understanding of the basic concepts of science, the nature of science, the ethics that control the scientist in his [sic] work, the interrelationships of science and society, the interrelationships of science and the humanities, and the differences between science and technology. A quarter century later, Science for All Americans (AAAS 1989, p.4) defined a scientifically literate person as "one who is aware that science, mathematics, and technology are interdependent human enterprises with strengths and limitations; understands 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." Many other definitions, some very similar to these, others strikingly different, can be located in curriculum documents originating in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. This brief essay is an attempt to untangle some of the strands of argument and to identify some of the curriculum imperatives if we are to achieve the goal of universal scientific literacy.
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