New Perspectives in Science Education

Science popularization has become a vital aspect of doing scientific research. Numerous universities and research institutions require the scientists to present their findings not only to the colleagues but to a wider, general audience, which often includes laymen. At times, research funding can depend on the success or failure of such presentations. However, the skills necessary to produce engaging popularizations are often left out when it comes to science education. This presentation offers simple, practical solutions for producing written popular texts. The suggestions presented are based on linguistic analysis of current successful popular scientific publications and cover such areas as narrative descriptions of discoveries, incorporation of the multiple voices of the scientific community, creating a favorable and relatable image of science and its practitioners. The presentation highlights the similarity between the practices already familiar to professional or aspiring sciences (for example, construction of a laboratory report or a scientific article) and the abilities required to produce popularizations. The author proposes drawing on the already-existing writing skill set instead of introducing an approach which asks for a completely different point of view. The arguments presented are based on linguistic insights of Rom Harre, Michael Hoey, William Labov, Greg Myers, Michael Toolan, and many others. The author advocates for the inclusion of the popularizing skill set as part of science education curriculum.