New Perspectives in Science Education

Scientific literacy is widely regarded as one of the most important goals of Science Education [1], [2], [3]. Scientific literacy relates to how an individual uses their scientific knowledge and skills to participate as active citizens in society [4]. Research indicates that teaching science through Socioscientific Issues (SSI) has the potential to achieve this goal [5], [6]. There is, however, a dearth of international literature on the impact of SSI on the development of primary/elementary aged students’ scientific literacy. Within an Irish context SSI is not a feature of the Irish primary science curriculum and therefore an underutilized and under examined theoretical approach to the teaching of science. This study sought to explore whether the teaching of primary science through SSI has an impact on enhancing upper primary school students’ scientific literacy; namely the development of student interest in science, scientific inquiry skills, conceptual understanding of science, socioscientific argumentation and socioscientific reasoning skills. Seven primary school teachers and their classes (n=150 students) participated in this study over a six-month period. A mixed-methods pragmatic research design was utilized where multiple data sources were collected concurrently including student questionnaires, student focus group interviews, student practical science skill assessment and teacher semi-structured interviews. Findings indicate that teaching primary science through SSI had a positive impact on primary school students’ attitude towards school science, development of content knowledge and scientific inquiry skills and also enhanced the students’ ability to engage in socioscientific argumentation. In most cases students were able apply their science content knowledge and skills to socioscientific reasoning where students made informed decisions pertaining to SSI relevant to their everyday lives. Furthermore, some classes participated in student-led active citizenship as they took informed action in response to the SSI. The findings suggest that teaching primary science through SSI has the potential to prepare and empower students for active and responsible participation in a complex, democratic society. This study recommends that SSI education be an explicit feature of primary/elementary science curricula both nationally and internationally.

Keywords: Scientific Literacy, Socioscientific Issues, Primary Science Education.

References:

1. Hazelkorn, E., “Science education for responsible citizenship”, Brussels, European Commission, 2015.
2. DES, STEM education policy statement: 2017-2026. Dublin: Government Publications, 2017.
3. Dillon, J., “On scientific literacy and curriculum reform”, International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 4 (3), 201-213, 2009.
4. OECD, “PISA 2015 Draft Science Framework”, France, OECD, 2013.
5. Sadler, T.D., Zeidler, D.L., “Scientific literacy, PISA, and socio-scientific discourse: Assessment for progressive aims of science education”. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 46 (8), 909-921, 2009.
6. Sadler, T.D., “Socioscientific Issues in the Classroom: Teaching, Learning and Research”, Florida, Springer, 2011.