Download or read book Improving Students Scientific Literacy Through Critical Evaluation of Scientific Texts and Media written by Kristin Magnuson and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page 81 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Science permeates our lives and so an understanding of basic scientific concepts and the scientific process can enable one to make better choices when deliberating every day decisions. The challenge for science educators and curriculum developers is that science as a field of study is dynamic and ever-evolving. Science education has moved away from pure content instruction to teaching students how to find and critically evaluate scientific information. The purpose of this project is to create curriculum that will improve high school students' scientific literacy by developing their ability to critically evaluate scientific text and media. In the literature review, three themes are explored. First, the numerous and diverse definitions of scientific literacy are examined. Second, I look at how scientific literacy is measured. Third I explore the ways in which science education can promote students' critical evaluation scientific text and media--an important component of scientific literacy. The development of this curriculum involves three steps. First, a review of the literature is done in order to define scientific literacy and identify best practices for teaching scientific literacy. The themes addressed in the literature review include: Defining scientific literacy, measuring scientific literacy, and best practices for teaching critical evaluation of scientific text and media. The second step of the process is to use background planning by McTighe & Wiggins (2011). The third step is to pilot the curriculum and then make changes based on the pilot. In the first assignment, students learn how to read and evaluate a primary scientific research article. For the second assignment, students become more skilled at how to evaluate media reports on scientific research. For the third assignment, students research a science topic of their choice and then write an engaging news report on that topic. For the fourth and last assignment, students are taught how to evaluate a science infographic and then create one of their own. This curriculum could be used in and adapted for any high school science course. The curriculum is designed in such a way that the assignments can be tailored for any science course by choosing articles, news stories, topics that are better a fit for that class.

Download or read book EBOOK Developing Scientific Literacy Using News Media in the Classroom written by Ruth Jarman and published by McGraw-Hill Education (UK). This book was released on 2007-03-16 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ""This is an excellent source of ideas on using the media to enrich science teaching and engage pupils. It contains numerous ideas on using newspapers and other sources in science and how to encourage young people to read them carefully and critically." Prof Jerry Wellington, School of Education, University of Sheffield, UK "Throughout the book, all the ideas, content, suggestions and arguments are supported by in-depth research and solid referencing, making this an authoritative, yet eminently readable, reference volume for current and would-be secondary science teachers." School Science Review Science-related news stories have great potential as a resource for teaching and learning about science and its impact on society. By demonstrating the relevance of the subject in everyday life, they can form a valuable bridge between the school classroom and the ‘real world’. Worldwide, those advocating science education reform stress the need to promote ‘scientific literacy’ among young people and typically this includes equipping students to critically engage with science reports in the media. However, very little guidance exists for those who wish to do so. Developing Scientific Literacy addresses this gap, offering a much-needed framework for teachers wishing to explore ‘science in the media’ in secondary schools or colleges. It suggests how teachers across a number of subject areas can collaborate to promote among young people an aptitude and ability to engage thoughtfully with science in the media. Drawing on research and development work, the authors: Describe key characteristics of science news reporting Discuss its potential as a resource for teaching and learning about science and for developing young people’s criticality in respect of such reports Identify appropriate instructional objectives and suggest activities through which these might be achieved This timely book is a source of valuable ideas and insights for all secondary science teachers. It will also be of interest to those with responsibilities for initial teacher training and continuing professional development.

Download or read book Developing Scientific Literacy Using News Media In The Classroom written by Jarman, Ruth and published by McGraw-Hill Education (UK). This book was released on 2007-03-01 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Developing Scientific Literacy addresses the gap of the revelance of science in everyday life, offering a much-needed framework for teachers wishing to explore ‘science in the media’ in secondary schools or colleges.

Download or read book Socioscientific Issues Based Instruction for Scientific Literacy Development written by Powell, Wardell A. and published by IGI Global. This book was released on 2020-09-11 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Socioscientific issues require individuals to use moral and ethical considerations to help in their evaluation of evidence and decision making, entailing controversial scientific phenomena. Such issues include genetic engineering and biotechnology. Socioscientific issues pedagogy has the potential to enhance students’ overall conceptual understanding of scientific phenomena that affect the daily lives of people across the globe. Socioscientific Issues-Based Instruction for Scientific Literacy Development is a critical scholarly publication that examines the development of a research-based integrated socioscientific issues pedagogy for use in the K-12 system, teacher education preparation, and informal education centers. The publication focuses on science education researchers and pre-service and in-service teachers’ abilities to design and implement meaningful learning opportunities for students to use rationalistic, intuitive, and emotive perspectives as they engage in information reasoning on scientific topics, such as climate change and CRISPR, that are of utmost importance. Teachers in the K-12 system and informal education settings will be able to use this text to enhance scientific literacy among their students. Instructors in teacher preparation programs will be able to use this research-based text to improve pre-service and in-service teachers’ abilities to use socioscientific issues pedagogy to enhance scientific literacy among K-12 students. Additionally, audiences including researchers, administrators, academicians, policymakers, and students will find this book beneficial for their studies.

Download or read book Every Child a Scientist written by Center for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education Staff and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1998-01-02 with total page 32 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As more schools begin to implement the National Science Education Standards, adults who care about the quality of K-12 science education in their communities may want to help their local schools make the transition. This booklet provides guidance to parents and others, explains why high-quality science education is important for all children and young adults, and shows how the quality of school science programs can be measured. Center for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Education Staff; 1998, 32 pages, 8.5 x 11, single copy, $10.00; 2-9 copies, $7.00 each; 10 or more copies, $4.50 each (no other discounts apply).

Download or read book Fighting bad Science in the Information Age written by Anita Tseng and published by . This book was released on 2018 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For today's students who have spent their formative years in the Digital Age, the use of Web media as an informational source is ubiquitous. Due to new developments in Internet technology, such as Web 2.0 sites that allow Internet users to create and publish media content, science information now ranges vastly in quality as publication barriers have been removed. Moreover, because new Web technology facilitates the distribution of information with "sharing" functions, misinformation about science easily spreads among members of the public, circulated alongside scientifically accurate information. As such, in today's information landscape, it is necessary for non-experts to read and think critically when approaching scientific claims in a Web-based context. Furthermore, there is a pressing need to develop ways of supporting learners of science in cultivating a critical mindset towards scientific claims. This dissertation includes three papers that examine the nature of Web-based misinformation about vaccination safety, the ways in which students approach flawed scientific claims, and potential strategies for supporting students' critical thinking when reading potentially flawed science information. To investigate the background knowledge necessary for students to be critical readers of Web-based scientific misinformation, Article I examined high school students' assessments of flawed scientific claims in Web by using qualitative Think Alouds and retrospective interview methods. Specifically, the research questions addressed by this study were the following: 1) Do students take a critical or accepting stance towards misinformation about science in Web media? 2) What types of background knowledge support students who take a critical stance? 3) When given the explicit task to critique information, do students become more critical of scientific claims? In this study, high school students participated in voicing their thoughts while reading a weblog article containing flawed claims about vaccination safety that were inconsistent with existing research in the field (confirmed by vaccination experts in face validity tests) and appropriate scientific reasoning (confirmed by scientists in face validity tests). Furthermore, to investigate students' competencies in critiquing scientific claims, students were also directly asked to critique the article for flaws. From the data, evidence suggested that students who were critical of the article mostly based their sentiments their knowledge of scientific reasoning and the language used by the author. In contrast, students who were accepting of the article's claims attempted to reason with the author's claims using their novice level content knowledge, as well as their perceptions of appropriate scientific reasoning. Lastly, some students accepted the article's claims, but changed their minds when asked to critique the article for flaws, suggesting that priming students to detect errors in scientific arguments may encourage critical thinking. Findings from this investigation have implications for science literacy by providing a qualitative perspective on the types of background knowledge used by students when taking a critical stance towards erroneous scientific claims, and how students respond to the task of critiquing scientific claims. To characterize the nature of misinformation and misrepresentations of science in new user-generated media, Article II examined the nature of commentary on the social media platform Twitter regarding the controversial issue of vaccination safety by qualitative analysis of Twitter posts (known as "Tweets") for sentiment and purpose. Furthermore, a more focused analysis was conducted on anti-vaccination Tweets for the presence of errors in scientific reasoning, and to characterize the types of errors in these Tweets. Specifically, the research questions in this study were the following: 1) What is the nature (specifically, attitudes and purpose) of comments on Twitter regarding vaccination safety? 2) How are anti-vaccination claims justified, and what flaws are in the reasoning for such claims? Findings from qualitative analyses were used for automated text analysis using machine learning software to examine a larger sample of Tweets. From this study, a number of conclusions emerged — anti-vaccination comments were more common than those in support of vaccination safety. Furthermore, anti-vaccination claims were more often elaborated upon or supported with reasoning than those in support of vaccination safety — thus, anti-vaccination claims were likely to be more persuasive to those who are undecided or questioning of vaccination's safety. Of anti-vaccination claims that were justified, the majority were misinterpretations of scientific research, or based on biases about science and scientists. Conclusions from this study have implications for public health, communications, and science literacy research on attitudes and beliefs that lead to perspectives on both sides of the vaccination safety debate, and may have implications for improvements in the persuasiveness of public health communication. Finally, to see if we can enable a critical stance in students who are reading erroneous scientific information, Article III experimentally tested the use of structured opportunities for student questioning of erroneous claims about science, and the effects on students' epistemic vigilance. The research questions in this study were the following: 1) Does prompting for critique heighten students' ability to be vigilant of flaws in scientific information? 2) When prompted for critique, how are students evaluating flawed scientific information? Specifically, students were provoked to critique scientific claims by reading a sample Web-based article containing errors in scientific reasoning, and participating in an activity that encouraged students to question the author's reasoning, use of evidence, and potential biases. This study involved the development and validation of an original survey instrument for measuring students' epistemic vigilance as an outcome, a randomized controlled trial (N= 1,081) of the aforementioned reading activity, and subsequent statistical and qualitative analysis of survey data. The ultimate goal of the study, therefore, is to see if it is possible to improve critical awareness of scientific interpretation at the high school level by providing structured opportunities to detect poorly reasoned scientific claims. The quantitative findings of this study were suggestive of a possible effect of the activity on students' critical awareness of scientific misinformation, particularly if the students had completed the activity. Furthermore, the effects of the reading activity were most significant in 11th grade students, as well as students who were undecided about the safety of vaccination. However, qualitative analysis of open-ended survey responses suggested that students were mostly critical of the article's quantity of scientific evidence, rarely identifying the article's scientific flaws to support their assessments of the article's trustworthiness. As such, it can be concluded that providing students with structured opportunities to critique scientific misinformation may be effective for stimulating critical thinking, but it was unclear as to whether the students were aware of the actual flaws and weaknesses in the reading sample. The conclusions have implications for the improvement of formal science education and students' competence as critical readers of Web-based scientific claims, particularly in response to changes in our media landscape and the subsequent reliability of science information that is available to the public.

Download or read book Developing Science Literacy in the 21st Century written by Keri-Anne Croce and published by IAP. This book was released on 2020-02-01 with total page 165 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The development of science literacy has the potential to have an enormous impact on real world outcomes. Specifically, developing science literacy may persuade individuals to act. We hope that this book will influence scientists, science journalists, sociologists, anthropologists, communication specialists, political leaders, media outlets, educational institutions, and individual science content consumers. The chapters in this book describe a definition of science literacy that draws on the emotional, cognitive, and social. The authors strive to help prepare individuals to read, write, and speak science in a continuously evolving information landscape. In order to meet these objectives, the chapters examine both qualitative and quantitative research. It is within these frameworks that we can begin to address science literacy in the 21st century.

Download or read book Assessing Science Learning written by Janet Coffey and published by NSTA Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 505 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Critical Analysis of Science Textbooks written by Myint Swe Khine and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-06-26 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The critical analysis of science textbooks is vital in improving teaching and learning at all levels in the subject, and this volume sets out a range of academic perspectives on how that analysis should be done. Each chapter focuses on an aspect of science textbook appraisal, with coverage of everything from theoretical and philosophical underpinnings, methodological issues, and conceptual frameworks for critical analysis, to practical techniques for evaluation. Contributions from many of the most distinguished scholars in the field give this collection its sure-footed contemporary relevance, reflecting the international standards of UNESCO as well as leading research organizations such as the American Association for the Advancement of Science (whose Project 2061 is an influential waypoint in developing protocols for textbook analysis). Thus the book shows how to gauge aspects of textbooks such as their treatment of controversial issues, graphical depictions, scientific historiography, vocabulary usage, accuracy, and readability. The content also covers broader social themes such as the portrayal of women and minorities. "Despite newer, more active pedagogies, textbooks continue to have a strong presence in classrooms and to embody students’ socio-historical inheritance in science. Despite their ubiquitous presence, they have received relatively little on-going empirical study. It is imperative that we understand how textbooks influence science learning. This book presents a welcome and much needed analysis." Tina A. Grotzer Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA The present book provides a much needed survey of the current state of research into science textbooks, and offers a wide range of perspectives to inform the 'science' of writing better science textbooks. Keith S Taber University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Download or read book Engaging Ideas written by John C. Bean and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-07-20 with total page 309 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Learn to design interest-provoking writing and critical thinking activities and incorporate them into your courses in a way that encourages inquiry, exploration, discussion, and debate, with Engaging Ideas, a practical nuts-and-bolts guide for teachers from any discipline. Integrating critical thinking with writing-across-the-curriculum approaches, the book shows how teachers from any discipline can incorporate these activities into their courses. This edition features new material dealing with genre and discourse community theory, quantitative/scientific literacy, blended and online learning, and other current issues.

Download or read book Scientific Literacy for Participation written by Erik Knain and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-02-03 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scientific literacy is approached on the premise that language is key to understand the nature of both learning and participation, in scientists’ practices as well as in liberal education for citizenship. Some of the questions that are addressed in the book are: • What does it take to be able to participate in different arenas in society involving science? • How does everyday language relate to scientific language? • How can students’ texts be analyzed to gain insights into their learning? • How can images be analyzed alongside verbal language? This book offers a thorough introduction to key ideas in M. A. K. Halliday’s systemic functional grammar through examples and practical analysis. Detailed analysis is offered of science textbooks and curriculum documents, classroom talk, experimental work, and students’ discussions of complex environmental issues. Further, an analytical model guiding the design and analysis of science learning discourses is introduced. The book starts with introducing excerpts from whole-class discussions, group work, experimental reports and textbooks as text-in-context. From this starting point, key aspects of language are carefully explained. The role of grammatical metaphor in the development of science knowledge is an important topic throughout the book. Tools for analyzing multimodal representations, intertextuality and multiple voices are also among the topics covered for understanding and analyzing school science discourses.

Download or read book Democratizing Risk Governance written by Monica Gattinger and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-04-28 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access book features contributions from a multidisciplinary team of leading and emerging scholars focused on democratization of risk assessment, management, and communication. The volume identifies and sheds light on key risk governance dilemmas related to public trust, risk perception and public participation. The first part of the book articulates the relationship among science, expertise, deliberation and public values, featuring an in-depth analysis of the concept of ‘motivated reasoning,’ and the role of trust, values and worldviews in understanding and addressing contemporary controversies over risk decision-making. The volume’s second part features eight case studies from three policy fields – energy, genomics, and public health – and a special section dedicated to vaccine decision-making for Covid-19. Chapters analyze the level, nature and mechanisms of public involvement in risk decision-making, assessing its contribution to the effectiveness and legitimacy of decisions. The case studies focus predominantly on Canada, but they draw on global scholarship and are of direct relevance for scholars and practitioners of risk governance in any country.

Download or read book The Science of Reading written by Margaret J. Snowling and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2013-04-22 with total page 922 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Science of Reading: A Handbook brings together state-of-the-art reviews of reading research from leading names in the field, to create a highly authoritative, multidisciplinary overview of contemporary knowledge about reading and related skills. Provides comprehensive coverage of the subject, including theoretical approaches, reading processes, stage models of reading, cross-linguistic studies of reading, reading difficulties, the biology of reading, and reading instruction Divided into seven sections:Word Recognition Processes in Reading; Learning to Read and Spell; Reading Comprehension; Reading in Different Languages; Disorders of Reading and Spelling; Biological Bases of Reading; Teaching Reading Edited by well-respected senior figures in the field

Download or read book Science Education as a Pathway to Teaching Language Literacy written by and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2010-01-01 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this era of mandated high stakes and standardized testing, teachers and schools officials find themselves struggling to meet the demands for improved student achievement. At the same time, they are also expected to teach all subjects as required by national and state curriculum standards.

Download or read book Exploring the Landscape of Scientific Literacy written by Cedric Linder and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2010-10-04 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Offering new ways to look at the key ideas and practices associated with promoting scientific literacy, this book takes a pragmatic and inclusive perspective on curriculum reform and learning and presents a future vision for science education research and practice.

Download or read book The Knowledge Gap written by Natalie Wexler and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2020-08-04 with total page 354 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The untold story of the root cause of America's education crisis--and the seemingly endless cycle of multigenerational poverty. It was only after years within the education reform movement that Natalie Wexler stumbled across a hidden explanation for our country's frustrating lack of progress when it comes to providing every child with a quality education. The problem wasn't one of the usual scapegoats: lazy teachers, shoddy facilities, lack of accountability. It was something no one was talking about: the elementary school curriculum's intense focus on decontextualized reading comprehension "skills" at the expense of actual knowledge. In the tradition of Dale Russakoff's The Prize and Dana Goldstein's The Teacher Wars, Wexler brings together history, research, and compelling characters to pull back the curtain on this fundamental flaw in our education system--one that fellow reformers, journalists, and policymakers have long overlooked, and of which the general public, including many parents, remains unaware. But The Knowledge Gap isn't just a story of what schools have gotten so wrong--it also follows innovative educators who are in the process of shedding their deeply ingrained habits, and describes the rewards that have come along: students who are not only excited to learn but are also acquiring the knowledge and vocabulary that will enable them to succeed. If we truly want to fix our education system and unlock the potential of our neediest children, we have no choice but to pay attention.

Download or read book Rethinking Scientific Literacy written by Wolff-Michael Roth and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2004-05-01 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rethinking Scientific Literacy presents a new perspective on science learning as a tool for improving communities. By focusing on case studies inside and outside of the classroom, the authors illuminate the relevance of science in students' everyday lives, offering a new vision of scientific literacy that is inextricably linked with social responsibility and community development. The goal if not tote memorization of facts and theories, but a broader competency in scientific thinking and the ability to generate positive change.