BCCE, Purdue Univ. 2006 Public Understanding of Science: Past, Present & Future What Can We Do As Chemists and Educators? Penny J. Gilm Florida State Univers
Dec 19, 2015
BCCE, Purdue Univ. 2006
Public Understanding of Science:Past, Present & Future
What Can We Do As Chemists and Educators?
Penny J. Gilmer Florida State University
BCCE, Purdue Univ. 2006
Organization of talk
Public Understanding of Science1. Past
NSF surveys A Private Universe (DVD), Harvard-Smithsonian
2. Present Chemistry Is in the News, Rainer Glaser Vega Science Trust, Sir Harold Kroto
3. Future What we can do as chemists and educators?
BCCE, Purdue Univ. 2006
In the past… NSF surveys of the public’s understanding of science and
technology using true/false questions (2004 or most recent)
604020
% Correct response to specific literary questions
Arrow indicates 50% correct response rate
Lasers work by focusing sound waves. (False)
It is the father’s gene that decides whether the baby is a boy or a girl.
(True)
US ‘04
China ‘01
S.Korea ‘04
Japan ‘01
Malaysia ‘00
EU-25 ‘05
Russia ‘03
BCCE, Purdue Univ. 2006
Science terms and concepts (NSF)
With US, lower % correct on issue related to evolution
of earth
Arrow indicates 50% correct response
% correct responses
All radioactivity is man-made.
(False)
The center of the Earth is very hot.
(True)
The universe began with a
huge explosion. (True)
40 60 8020
S. KoreaChina
S. KoreaChina
US
Japan
BCCE, Purdue Univ. 2006
Scientific terms and concepts (NSF)
% responses correct
40 60
Antibiotics kill viruses as well
as bacteria (False)
Electrons are smaller than
atoms (True)
20 80
Less than 50% of all countries tested knew electrons are smaller than atoms
US
Russia
KoreaChina
Europe
US
BCCE, Purdue Univ. 2006
More scientific terms and concepts (NSF)
Human beings are developed
from earlier species of
animals. (True)
The continents have been
moving their locations for
millions of years and will
continue to move. (True)
40 6020
% correct response
US ties for lowest % correct responses to question on evolution of animals.
Japan
Russia
US
S. Korea
EuropeRussia
BCCE, Purdue Univ. 2006
Two questions on scientific terms and concepts (with word answers, NSF, 2001)
1. How long does it take for the Earth to go around the Sun? (1 year)
In US, 48% answered it correctly
2. Does the Earth go around the Sun, or does the Sun go around the Earth? (Earth goes around the sun)
In US, 72% answered it correctly
BCCE, Purdue Univ. 2006
Also weak understanding of scientific process (NSF)Word questions on scientific process in US
On how scientists conduct an experiment 43% 47% correct from ‘01 to ‘04
On explaining probability 57% 64% correct from ‘01 to ‘04
On what it means to study something scientifically (only ‘04)
23% could explain correctly in own words
BCCE, Purdue Univ. 2006
On pseudoscience gaining ground in US
“…many Americans accept pseudoscientific beliefs” [such as UFOs, astrology, ESP, lucky numbers, etc.] (Losh et al.,2003)
People with these beliefs lack critical thinking skills an understanding of how scientists weigh evidence
Three out of four Americans believe in paranormal (Gallup poll, 2005)
BCCE, Purdue Univ. 2006
A Private Universe
DVD of programs made by the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (funded partially by NSF and Annenberg/CPB)
It shows even educated people can hold onto misconceptions, their own private ideas of how the world works.
Try out your students’ ideas here.
BCCE, Purdue Univ. 2006
New book on beliefs by Lewis Wolpert
Human reasoning is “beset with logical problems that include overdependence on
authority, overemphasis on
coincidence, distortion of the evidence, circular reasoning, use of anecdotes, ignorance of science and failures of logic”
Reviewed in the NY Times, 25 July 06
BCCE, Purdue Univ. 2006
Present:
Rainer Glaser has Chemistry Is in the News Web site
Site includes Critical thinking Collaboration Peer review Technology
I use it successfully in biochemistry classrooms
http://ciitn.missouri.edu/
BCCE, Purdue Univ. 2006
Present:
Sir Harold Kroto’s Vega Science Trust Web site
Site includes Interviews: Perutz,
Dresselhaus, Ernst, Rotblat and more
Lectures: Feynman, Mullis, Blobel, and other Nobel laureates
Workshops for K-12 teachers
Early career scientists Kroto’s own C60 lectures
http://www.vega.org.uk/
BCCE, Purdue Univ. 2006
Future:
1. Learn cognitive theories of how people learn and apply with your own students
a. K-12b. Undergraduatec. Graduate
2. Get grants with NSF, NIH, NASA, Dreyfus Foundation, to improve science education at any level
Monograph from current GK-12 grant I have at FSU
For monograph, contact [email protected]
BCCE, Purdue Univ. 2006
Future
3. Learn theories of education
Two powerful sociological theories I use in researching my own biochemistry classrooms: Cultural historical
activity theory Theory of structure
Theory into practice
http://tip.psychology.org/
BCCE, Purdue Univ. 2006
Cultural-Historical Activity Theory
Rules or Schema
s
Subjects
Communities
Tools
Objects
Division of Labor
Outcomes
BCCE, Purdue Univ. 2006
Two interacting activity systems
http://www.edu.helsinki.fi/activity/pages/chatanddwr/chat/
BCCE, Purdue Univ. 2006
Sewell’s theory of structure Through the theory of
structure we understand that there is a dialectical tension between structure and agency, in which one influences the other.
Structure
Agency