Scientific literacy series - Chapter 1: The concept and the importance of scientific literacy
Scientific literacy is one of the core areas that help us understand children’s development and their progress towards higher mental skills. If children can develop and sustain their scientific literacy from the early years, this development can help them advance their scientific thinking and other higher-order learning skills, benefiting them in subsequent stages in several ways.
The question is: What is the core concept of scientific literacy, and how can scientific literacy be defined?
The concept of scientific literacy
Several concepts address the core senses of scientific literacy. However, I want to focus on what Dougla A. Roberts discussed, as I found Roberts’ concept and definition to be holistic and easy to understand. Another aspect is that the concept of scientific literacy can vary across educational levels. As in my PhD, I worked with children in the early years; therefore, I found the concepts discussed by Roberts are appropriate for children in the early years, particularly those attending early childhood centres or preschools and preparing to go to primary school.
So, what does Roberts discuss in this article?
Roberts actually identified two specific visions to explain the concept of scientific literacy. The first one is named Vision 1, in which Roberts argued that scientific literacy is viewed from the perspective of scientists and focuses on content. In contrast, Vision 2 emphasises linking scientific knowledge to real-life contexts so that people can apply it to their particular situations. In summary, while Vision 1 emphasises the science content learning process, Vision 2 focuses on both the scientific learning process and the application of this learning as and when necessary.
Before going to the definition, I think I should discuss some other aspects of scientific literacy. For instance, I have reviewed a number of articles and got the sense that the concept and definition of scientific literacy depend on how a person views it. In many cases, academics treat science and literacy separately and then merge them, yielding some gains in science literacy, but this approach is seen as a short-term view. On the other hand, many academics and researchers consider this a long-term effect, and they shift the focus from science literacy to scientific literacy, recognising its potential long-term impact. If I provide a quote from Johnson, this could reflect the sense of the discussion above. He said that scientific literacy
is built upon the foundation of students’ familiarity and proficiency in the practices of science, but it also includes a conscious appreciation of the values, commitments, and habits of mind that undergird those practices.
I also found a similar understanding provided by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), as they combine several ideas to define scientific literacy:
(1) explain phenomena scientifically, (2) construct and evaluate designs for scientific enquire and interpret scientific data and evidence critically, and (3) research, evaluate and use of scientific information for decision making and action.
So, it is clear that we need to consider the concept of scientific literacy from a broader perspective, not from a limited view or understanding. In particular, the concept of scientific literacy should be understood in terms of the application of knowledge. Otherwise, we can provide scientific knowledge to children day by day, but they might not be able to apply it as required, and they will not be good problem-solvers.
The definition of scientific literacy
Based on the understanding above and focusing on children’s development in the early years, I define scientific literacy as follows: simple and easy to understand.
Scientific literacy is the combination of gaining scientific knowledge, relating that knowledge to a specific context, and applying it in real situations.
This definition is simple. I wanted to keep it simple as I worked with the children in the early years. As I discussed above, the definition of scientific literacy may vary depending on context and educational level. I searched for a specific definition; however, there is no universal definition of scientific literacy that applies across all contexts and levels.
Importance of scientific literacy
The burning question is: Why is scientific literacy important?
The importance of scientific literacy can be discussed from several dimensions. I am discussing it based on five specific dimensions.
Learning applicability
According to the definition of scientific literacy provided above, children will be able to relate their scientific knowledge to a specific situation and apply it in real-world contexts. Therefore, if children develop this literacy, they can apply their learning as and when necessary. Learning is not instrumental; it is important to use and apply knowledge according to the needs of a person or a society. Therefore, if children develop and progress their scientific literacy from childhood, they learn how to apply their knowledge for society’s best interests. This application can be based on their personal or local and global context.
Development of higher skills
Children develop a range of higher-order thinking skills through scientific literacy. For instance, by developing scientific literacy, children can solve problems, analyse phenomena critically, and ultimately make decisions based on evidence. These capacities or capabilities are considered part of their higher development, higher learning, or higher mental skills. When children develop their scientific literacy, they actually develop a number of complex understandings and skills, which are integrated and interconnected, and these skills also help each other to move forward. As a result, children can progress from simple to complex situations. This process also makes children eventually scientifically literate citizens. In this way, scientific literacy development helps children develop their higher skills.
Curiosity and interest development
Learning and development should be based on children’s curiosity and interest. Scientific literacy provides children with the scope to learn and apply their knowledge based on their own interests. If children can apply their learning, this also extends their interest in scientific phenomena. Children are naturally curious; however, their curiosity needs to be nurtured. If children’s scientific literacy is nurtured, they eventually grow their interest in learning several concepts and can make associations among several areas of learning.
Long-term impact
Scientific literacy has a long-term impact on children’s development. On the one hand, children learn by applying their knowledge; on the other hand, they can learn complex phenomena that they can use for social benefits and long-term economic growth. The development of scientific literacy in the early years, therefore, benefits children in subsequent stages, such as secondary or tertiary levels.
Integrated and holistic development
If children start learning several scientific concepts by applying them directly in real situations, this practice extends to practising, extending, and refining the knowledge. It is important to develop children’s learning and scientific literacy, which can help build several learning domains in an integrated way, in turn ensuring their holistic development. Extending children’s scientific literacy not only advances their understanding of science but also helps them make a bridge between their scientific and technological development. The development of scientific literacy also makes them proficient in scientific thinking.
I discussed here some benefits of children’s scientific literacy, not all of them. The above discussion establishes that children need to develop their scientific literacy because it has both short- and long-term impacts. These impacts are not only for their personal development, but also contribute to society.