Theorizing the Future of Scientific Literacy: Classroom Work from the Philippines

With global efforts for the improvement of scientific literacy, continued work must be done to examine nuanced and contextual factors that contribute to its attainment. This chapter details action research conducted in the Philippines towards that end. This study was conducted in an undergraduate Science, Technology and Society course. This classroom is contextually rich as it was conducted daily over the summer, with three co-teachers, and with a student profile of mostly non-physical science (i.e. nursing) students. Thematic analyses reveal that language must not be taken for granted in the teaching and learning of science. This is particularly vital as much of the adapted knowledge on science is lifted from literature written in the English language. Moreover, scientific methods, laws and theories appear non-essential to a scientific literacy in society. Developing a capacity to talk about science and investigate its impacts appear to be detached from a strong emphasis on those matters. A tentative conceptual framework called the pulley model is proposed on how teachers may construct science (including Science, Technology and Society) classrooms to support scientific literacy. The consensus view of the nature of science was adapted for instruction despite some discussion of the family resemblance approach. This study may contribute to ongoing discussions pertaining criticisms to both, particularly to projects interested in integrating or reconciling them.

In Exploring Social and Cultural Contexts of the Nature of Science through Action Research