Abstract
In considering what the science education community ought to be doing in terms of curricular and pedagogical innovations, teacher education, and research, I believe the field must consider two fundamental questions: (1) what should the goals of science education be and (2) how can these goals best be achieved? The question of what the goals of science education ought to be has been a long-standing issue. Debates on the meaning and purpose of scientific literacy have consistently explored this territory. Although the science education community is fairly united in its call to enhance scientific literacy for all students, there is considerably less agreement as to what constitutes scientific literacy. This volume does not take up the challenge of mapping out the landscape of scientific literacy; Doug Roberts’ (2007) chapter in the latest Handbook on Research in Science Education does an excellent job of summarizing and synthesizing the varied perspectives on this contentious construct.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Albe, V. (2008). When scientific knowedge, daily life experience, epistemological and social considerations intersect: Students’ argumentation in group discussion on a socio-scientific issue. Research in Science Education, 38, 67–90.
Bell, R. L., & Lederman, N. G. (2003). Understandings of the nature of science and decision making on science and technology based issues. Science Education, 87, 352–377.
Berkowitz, M. W., & Simmons, P. (2003). Integrating science education and character education. In D. L. Zeidler (Ed.), The role of moral reasoning on socioscientific issues and discourse in science education (pp. 117–138). Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Kluwer.
Cobb, P., & Bowers, J. (1999). Cognitive and situated learning perspectives in theory and practice. Educational Researcher, 28(2), 4–15.
DeBoer, G. E. (1991). A history of ideas in science education: Implications for practice. New York: Teachers College Press.
Duschl, R. A., Schweingruber, H. A., & Shouse, A. W. (Eds.). (2007). Taking science to school: Learning and teaching science in grades K-8. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Eggert, S., & Bogeholz, S. (2010). Students’ use of decision-making strategies with regard to socioscientific issues: An application of the Rasch partial credit model. Science Education, 94, 230–258.
Grace, M. (2009). Developing high quality decision-making discussions about biological conservation in a normal classroom setting. International Journal of Science Education, 31, 1464–1489.
Greeno, J. G. (1998). The situativity of knowing, learning, and research. American Psychologist, 53, 5–26.
Hodson, D. (2003). Time for action: Science education for an alternative future. International Journal of Science Education, 25, 645–670.
Hughes, G. (2000). Marginalization of socioscientific material in science-technology-society science curricula: Some implications for gender inclusivity and curriculum reform. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37, 426–440.
Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Lewis, J., & Leach, J. (2006). Discussion of socio-scientific issues: The role of science knowledge. International Journal of Science Education, 28, 1267–1287.
Members of the 2005 “Rising Above the Gathering Storm” Committee. (2010). Rising above the gathering storm, revisited: Rapidly approaching category 5. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Roberts, D. A. (2007). Scientific literacy/science literacy. In S. K. Abell & N. G. Lederman (Eds.), Handbook of research on science education (pp. 729–780). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Sadler, T. D. (2004). Informal reasoning regarding socioscientific issues: A critical review of research. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 41, 513–536.
Sadler, T. D. (2009). Situated learning in science education: Socioscientific issues as contexts for practice. Studies in Science Education, 45(1), 1–42.
Sadler, T. D., & Zeidler, D. L. (2009). Scientific literacy, PISA, and socioscientific Discourse: Assessment for progressive aims of science education. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 46, 909–921.
Staller, K. (2007). Inquiries into conversations among authors, editors and referees. Qualitative Social Work, 6(2), 137–157.
Tal, T., & Kedmi, Y. (2006). Teaching socioscientific issues: Classroom culture and students’ performances. Cultural Studies in Science, 1, 615–644.
Vazquez-Alonso, A., Manaserro-Mas, M.-A., & Acevedo-Diaz, J.-A. (2006). An analysis of complex multiple-choice science-technology-society items: Methodological development and preliminary results. Science Education, 90, 681–706.
Yager, R. E. (Ed.). (1996). Science/technology/society as reform in science education. Albany: State University of New York Press.
Yerrick, R., & Roth, W.-M. (2005). Establishing scientific discourse communities: Multiple voices of teaching and learning research. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Zeidler, D. L., & Keefer, M. (2003). The role of moral reasoning and the status of socioscientific issues in science education. In D. L. Zeidler (Ed.), The role of moral reasoning on socioscientific issues and discourse in science education. Dordrecht, the Netherlands: Kluwer.
Zeidler, D. L., Sadler, T. D., Simmons, M. L., & Howes, E. V. (2005). Beyond STS: A research-based framework for socioscientific issues education. Science Education, 89, 357–377.
Zeidler, D. L., Walker, K. A., Ackett, W. A., & Simmons, M. L. (2002). Tangled up in views: Beliefs in the nature of science and responses to socioscientific dilemmas. Science Education, 86, 343–367.
Zohar, A., & Nemet, F. (2002). Fostering students’ knowledge and argumentation skills through dilemmas in human genetics. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39, 35–62.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2011 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Sadler, T.D. (2011). Situating Socio-scientific Issues in Classrooms as a Means of Achieving Goals of Science Education. In: Sadler, T. (eds) Socio-scientific Issues in the Classroom. Contemporary Trends and Issues in Science Education, vol 39. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1159-4_1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1159-4_1
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-1158-7
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-1159-4
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and LawEducation (R0)