Science, Technology and Society (STS)

Introduction

Over the years, a range of factors including increased attention towards science and social responsibility, the prevalence of socio-scientific issues such as genetic engineering and nuclear power, a desire to humanize science, decreasing enrolment in physical sciences, and a surge of interest in the environment, have provided a fertile ground from which Science Technology Society and Environment (STSE) education has emerged. Originally, this movement began as Science Technology and Society (STS) education and then later evolved to include the environment (STSE). In this entry, we use STSE throughout, understanding that its roots are STS.

At a macro level, STSE education examines the interface between science and the social world. It is an umbrella term that supports a vast array of different types of theorizing about the connections between science, technology, society, and environment, and places science squarely within social, technological, cultural, ethical, and...