Religiously conservative Americans consistently demonstrate lower scientific literacy than other Americans. Some argue, however, that Americans’ scientific literacy is contingent on subcultural conflict, showing differences in scientific literacy that emerge only on religiously contested scientific claims. Building on these insights, we find that the most salient factor explaining Americans’ divergence on contested (though not on uncontested) scientific claims is not religious commitment or conservatism per se, but an ideology that seeks political—and consequently epistemic—dominance: Christian nationalism. National data show that Christian nationalism is unassociated with Americans’ answers on questions about uncontested scientific knowledge. However, Christian nationalism is the strongest predictor of incorrect answers on questions about religiously contested scientific claims. Contemporary “culture war” debates over science have little to do with outright ignorance of science, nor are they strictly about religiosity or theological conservatism. Rather, disputes over science and religion reflect politically motivated denials of scientific facts that threaten Christian nationalism’s claims to epistemic and cultural authority.

The purpose of this study was to interpret the experiences of secondary science teachers in Florida as they address the scientific literacy of their students through teaching content reading strategies and student inquiry skills. Knowledge of the successful integration of content reading and inquiry skills by experienced classroom teachers would be useful to many educators as they plan instruction to achieve challenging state and national standards for reading as well as science. The problem was investigated using grounded theory methodology. Open-ended questions were asked in three focus groups and six individual interviews that included teachers from various Florida school districts. The constant comparative approach was used to analyze the data. Initial codes were collapsed into categories to determine the conceptual relationships among the data. From this, the five core categories were determined to be Influencers, Issues, Perceptions, Class Routines, and Future Needs. These relate to the central phenomenon, Instructional Modifications, because teachers often described pragmatic and philosophical changes in their teaching as they deliberated to meet state standards in both reading and science. Although Florida's secondary science teachers have been asked to incorporate content reading strategies into their science instruction for the past several years, there was limited evidence of using these strategies to further student understanding of scientific processes. Most teachers saw little connection between reading and inquiry, other than the fact that students must know how to read to follow directions in the lab. Scientific literacy, when it was addressed by teachers, was approached mainly through class discussions, not reading. Teachers realized that students cannot learn secondary science content unless they read science text with comprehension; therefore the focus of reading instruction was on learning science content, not scientific literacy or student inquiry. Most of the teachers were actively looking for reading materials and strategies to facilitate student understanding of science concepts, but they did not want to give up limited class time attempting methods that have not been proven to be successful in science classrooms.

Increasing science literacy among all students is a longstanding goal of science education. The most recent national attempt to improve science education, and thereby increase science literacy, came in the form of the Framework for K-12 Science Education and the Next Generation Science Standards, which include 3 dimensions: scientific and engineering practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas. The purpose of this content analysis was to examine the alignment between 4 of the scientific practices (Asking Questions; Constructing Explanations; Engaging in Argument from Evidence; and Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information) and a widely used commercial literacy program, Reading Wonders, with the goal of beginning an investigation into whether or not general literacy instruction might be useful in developing science literacy. The science texts and their accompanying recommended instruction in 4th grade Wonders were coded and analyzed using categories derived from the key features of each scientific practice. Findings showed partial, although most often minimal, alignment between Wonders and each of the four practices. Scientific questions were present in Wonders, but rarely asked by students. The analyzed texts included some explanations of how or why scientific phenomena occur, but they were rarely supported by evidence. Similarly, in terms of scientific argument, the texts included some opportunities for students to observe claims being made and supported and to make and support their own claims, but these claims were rarely linked to disciplinary core ideas. Finally, Wonders offered many opportunities for students to observe and/or engage in Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information. However, these opportunities mainly involved obtaining information from a single traditional print text and then summarizing it. Teachers who are hoping to use Wonders to help students understand scientific practices should be aware that such integration will require additional planning and instruction. Alignment between Wonders and these four practices was minimal and rarely authentic to the discipline of science. Future research should continue the investigation this study began, thereby increasing generalizability, by expanding the focus to include other elementary grade levels, as well as other commercial literacy programs.

学位プログラム名: 京都大学大学院思修館 / 京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(総合学術) / 甲第21229号 / 総総博第1号 / 新制||総総||1(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院総合生存学館総合生存学専攻 / (主査)准教授 磯部 洋明, 教授 松下 佳代, 特定教授 泉 拓良, 惣脇 宏 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Philosophy / Kyoto University / DFAM

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Explores the relationship between nontraditional science education practices, structured by campaigns such as Public Understanding of Science (PUS) and Scientific Literacy (SL), and the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS), using ethnographic work with the Choices and Challenges Project at Virginia Tech as a "point of entry" (Smith 1987) for a broader discussion. It points to the difficulty of "doing" theory and practice at the same time. While affirming that there is no easy solution to the hard work of situating local, nontraditional science education practices within a critical theoretical tradition such as STS, this project also provides recommendations for a new framework to conceptualize a more productive interaction between the practice of nontraditional science education and the theory of STS. In a postscript, I conclude by urging all researchers within the field of STS to begin to recognize that maintaining the false split between our academic research, undergraduate teaching, university outreach, and community involvement is a failed project. As STS researchers, I believe it is, in fact, our obligation to our local and global communities to adopt an interventionist strategy and to use our work — without apology — for directly political ends. Challenging the technoscientific-political context in which we live always involves a level of real risk — but it is also our only opportunity to achieve real success. Our participation in this challenge is a responsibility to ourselves and to our communities that we must recognize and accept. This participation should not be shunned, but rather applauded. / Master of Science

[pt] O estudo focaliza a noção de alfabetismo científico, a partir de uma abordagem multifocal, que procurou englobar aspectos culturais, políticos e sócio-lingüísticos. Buscou- se dimensionar em que medida o ensino de Biologia tem contribuído para o desenvolvimento dos níveis de alfabetismo científico e, consequentemente, para a consolidação de uma percepção mais ampla, entre estudantes de nível médio, provenientes das camadas populares, de questões de grande relevância social, como é o caso da temática ambiental. Para a verificação dos níveis de alfabetismo científico, tomou-se como referência a análise da Matriz de Competências do ENEM e da proficiência em Ciências dos estudantes, a partir dos resultados de provas simuladas do ENEM, aplicadas aos 2783 alunos dos 97 Cursos Pré- Vestibulares Comunitários (CPVC) parceiros da PUC-Rio. Foram também realizadas entrevistas com professores de Biologia desses cursos. Os resultados apontam para a necessidade de uma revisão crítica do ensino de Biologia nos CPVC, ainda pautado numa visão propedêutica de difícil desconstrução. Propõe-se a busca de procedimentos técnico-pedagógicos que estimulem a criticidade e a participação político-social, visando à superação de práticas sociais excludentes, contra as quais se mobilizam expressivas alternativas de ação afirmativa e de inclusão, tais como o movimento social dos CPVCs. / [en] The thesis studies the meaning of Scientific Literacy, at the threefold level of its cultural, political and sociolingustic dimensions. It focuses on what extension the Biology teaching in high schools enhances the development of Scientific Literacy, in relation to relevant social issues, such as the environment. The research is carried among low income high school graduates nowadays enrolled in CPVCs (community classes in poor neighborhoods preparing high schools graduates to overcome the selective process of university entrance examinations). The study of the Scientific Literacy levels is referred to the competencies matrix developed by ENEM (the National Examination on Senior High Schools), insofar as the proficiency levels demonstred by 2783 high schools graduates enrolled in 97 CPVCs. The research was complemented through semi-structured interviews with teachers of those CPVCs. The thesis conclusions stress on the need of carrying a critical revision of the Biology teaching among CPVCs, since their pedagogical project is mostly targeted at the propedeutic aim of succeeding in the university entrance examinations. The thesis proposes then the development of teaching procedures that stress criticism and social- political participation, in order to overcome exclusion practices in schooling, such as those carried out by social movements.

Esta investigação caracteriza-se por ser estudo qualitativo que buscou compreender quais as características e as evidências da alfabetização científica presentes na ação educativa O Museu Vai à Praia, iniciativa desenvolvida pelo Museu de Astronomia e Ciências Afins (MAST) que leva atividades do museu para a praia durante o verão. Os dados deste estudo foram coletados durante o mês de março de 2013, no Rio de Janeiro e em três praias diferentes da cidade de Niterói, contemplando, além de entrevistas com os conceptores da ação educativa e com o público espontâneo, a observação da ação e a análise documental do projeto. A revisão da literatura referente à alfabetização científica e à educação em museus possibilitou o desenvolvimento de uma ferramenta de análise composta de dimensões e seus respectivos indicadores, usados para análise de dois importantes aspectos do O Museu Vai à Praia: as intenções do programa nos anos 1980 e em 2013 e a experiência do púbico na sua quinta edição. Os resultados revelam que, apesar de o projeto não ter sido elaborado na perspectiva da Alfabetização Científica (AC), ela contempla todas as dimensões propostas: Científica, Interface Ciência e Sociedade, Institucional e Afetiva, além da maioria dos indicadores de cada uma das dimensões. Mesmo nem todos os indicadores estando explicitados, consideramos que a presença reiterada de todas as dimensões denota que, desde sua origem, os objetivos da ação O Museu Vai à Praia dialogam com as finalidades da alfabetização científica. A ausência de alguns dos indicadores foi problematizada, assim como foram discutidas as mudanças nas ênfases de algumas dimensões ocorridas entre os anos 1980 e 2013, com a finalidade de promover uma análise crítica e uma reflexão sobre o papel da ação O Museu Vai à Praia na perspectiva da AC. Ao se defender que a AC é um processo que ocorre ao longo da vida, avaliamos que as ações educativas desenvolvidas pelos museus de ciências possuem grande potencial para sua promoção e que tais ações, se planejadas com base nas dimensões e nos indicadores propostos, podem se mostrar como um recurso fundamental para a maior compreensão da ciência e de sua relação com a sociedade. / This investigation is a qualitative study that aims to understand the evidences and characteristics of scientific literacy present in the project \"The Museum goes to the Beach\", an initiative developed by MAST (Museum of Astronomy and Science), which takes museum activities to the beach during summer.Data was collected in March 2013 in Rio de Janeiro and in three different beaches of Niteroi. Besides interviews with the creators of the project and the spontaneous public, we conducted a documental analysis and an observation of activities. The literature review on scientific literacy and education in museums allowed the development of an analytical tool regarding dimensions and indicators of \"the musem goes to the beach\" that focus on two specific aspects: the intention of the project in the 1980s and in 2013 and the experience with the participants in its fifth edition.Results indicate that even though the project was not built under the perspective of scientific literacy, it involves all the proposed dimensions: scientific, science and society interface, institutional and affective, besides the majority of indicators in each of the dimensions.Even though not all indicators are explicit, we believe that the consistent presence of all the dimensions reinforce that, since its origin, the objectives of \"the museum goes to the beach\" dialogue with the goals of scientific literacy.The absence of some indicators was analyzed, such as the change in emphasis in some dimensions between the 1980s and 2013 was discussed, in the attempt to foster a critical analysis and reflection over the role of the activity \"the museum goes to the beach\", under the perspective of scientific literacy.Stating that scientific education is a process ongoing throughout life, it is evaluated that educational activities developed by science museums have great potential to its promotion. This kind of activities, if based on the proposed dimensions and indicators, can be a fundamental resource to a deeper understanding of science and its relation with society.

Esta investigação caracteriza-se por ser estudo qualitativo que buscou compreender quais as características e as evidências da alfabetização científica presentes na ação educativa O Museu Vai à Praia, iniciativa desenvolvida pelo Museu de Astronomia e Ciências Afins (MAST) que leva atividades do museu para a praia durante o verão. Os dados deste estudo foram coletados durante o mês de março de 2013, no Rio de Janeiro e em três praias diferentes da cidade de Niterói, contemplando, além de entrevistas com os conceptores da ação educativa e com o público espontâneo, a observação da ação e a análise documental do projeto. A revisão da literatura referente à alfabetização científica e à educação em museus possibilitou o desenvolvimento de uma ferramenta de análise composta de dimensões e seus respectivos indicadores, usados para análise de dois importantes aspectos do O Museu Vai à Praia: as intenções do programa nos anos 1980 e em 2013 e a experiência do púbico na sua quinta edição. Os resultados revelam que, apesar de o projeto não ter sido elaborado na perspectiva da Alfabetização Científica (AC), ela contempla todas as dimensões propostas: Científica, Interface Ciência e Sociedade, Institucional e Afetiva, além da maioria dos indicadores de cada uma das dimensões. Mesmo nem todos os indicadores estando explicitados, consideramos que a presença reiterada de todas as dimensões denota que, desde sua origem, os objetivos da ação O Museu Vai à Praia dialogam com as finalidades da alfabetização científica. A ausência de alguns dos indicadores foi problematizada, assim como foram discutidas as mudanças nas ênfases de algumas dimensões ocorridas entre os anos 1980 e 2013, com a finalidade de promover uma análise crítica e uma reflexão sobre o papel da ação O Museu Vai à Praia na perspectiva da AC. Ao se defender que a AC é um processo que ocorre ao longo da vida, avaliamos que as ações educativas desenvolvidas pelos museus de ciências possuem grande potencial para sua promoção e que tais ações, se planejadas com base nas dimensões e nos indicadores propostos, podem se mostrar como um recurso fundamental para a maior compreensão da ciência e de sua relação com a sociedade. / This investigation is a qualitative study that aims to understand the evidences and characteristics of scientific literacy present in the project \"The Museum goes to the Beach\", an initiative developed by MAST (Museum of Astronomy and Science), which takes museum activities to the beach during summer.Data was collected in March 2013 in Rio de Janeiro and in three different beaches of Niteroi. Besides interviews with the creators of the project and the spontaneous public, we conducted a documental analysis and an observation of activities. The literature review on scientific literacy and education in museums allowed the development of an analytical tool regarding dimensions and indicators of \"the musem goes to the beach\" that focus on two specific aspects: the intention of the project in the 1980s and in 2013 and the experience with the participants in its fifth edition.Results indicate that even though the project was not built under the perspective of scientific literacy, it involves all the proposed dimensions: scientific, science and society interface, institutional and affective, besides the majority of indicators in each of the dimensions.Even though not all indicators are explicit, we believe that the consistent presence of all the dimensions reinforce that, since its origin, the objectives of \"the museum goes to the beach\" dialogue with the goals of scientific literacy.The absence of some indicators was analyzed, such as the change in emphasis in some dimensions between the 1980s and 2013 was discussed, in the attempt to foster a critical analysis and reflection over the role of the activity \"the museum goes to the beach\", under the perspective of scientific literacy.Stating that scientific education is a process ongoing throughout life, it is evaluated that educational activities developed by science museums have great potential to its promotion. This kind of activities, if based on the proposed dimensions and indicators, can be a fundamental resource to a deeper understanding of science and its relation with society.

Enligt 2011 års läroplan för gymnasieskolan ingår det i fysikämnet att eleverna ska kunna delta i samhällsdebatten och diskutera etiska frågor från ett naturvetenskapligt perspektiv. Hållbar utveckling kan bidra till förståelse för fysikens betydelse i samhället, där energibegreppet, energiresurser och energianvändning för ett hållbart samhälle ingår i kursen Fysik 1. Hur detta manifesteras kan analyseras i termer av scientific literacy, emfaser, SSI/SNI, etc. Studien jämför fyra läroböcker i fysik med en kvantitativ, men tolkande, textanalys baserad på en metod med tolkningsschema som utarbetats av Engström för att undersöka hur hållbara energisystem behandlas i undervisning och läroböcker för Fysik A enligt 1994 års läroplan för de frivilliga skolformerna. En jämförelse görs även mellan läroböcker för Fysik 1 och Naturkunskap 1b avseende energiområdet för att undersöka skillnader i tyngdpunkt mellan olika visioner av scientific literacy för de båda ämnena. Vidare görs en kvalitativ textanalys mellan olika utgåvor av samma läroboksserie om i vad mån olikheterna förklaras av skillnader mellan 2011 och 1994 års läroplaner. Slutligen ingår en kvalitativ textanalys av hur begrepp relaterade till termodynamikens andra huvudsats behandlas i läroböckerna och i vad mån detta överensstämmer med övriga skillnader. Innehållsanalysen indikerar att skillnaden mellan fysikläroböckerna vad gäller visioner av scientific literacy är förhållandevis liten, men större vad gäller inslagen av teknikrelaterat innehåll. Däremot är skillnaden tydlig mellan ämnena, där läroböckerna i fysik kännetecknas av dominans för vision I, där naturvetenskapen i sig och dess metoder dominerar, medan läroböckerna i naturkunskap har ett klart större inslag av vision II, som har större inslag av att sätta naturvetenskaperna i en samhällelig och politisk kontext. Skillnaderna i hur fysikläroböckerna behandlar termodynamikens 2:a huvudsats är i överensstämmelse med den kvantitativa textanalysen. I vad mån debatten om olika visioner för scientific literacy i Sverige hanteras genom att ha parallella ämnen med överlappande innehåll diskuteras. Likaså huruvida det finns en tendens att läroplanens skrivningar konserverar valet av vilka SNI-frågor som tas upp i undervisningen. Detta riskerar i så fall att strida mot principen att dessa skall vara aktuella och av intresse för eleverna. / According to the Swedish curriculum for the senior secondary school from 2011, it is part of the physics subject that students should be able to participate in debates about social issues and to discuss ethical issues from a scientific perspective. Sustainable development can contribute to an understanding of the importance of physics in the society, with the energy concept, energy resources and energy usage for a sustainable society included in the course Physics 1. How this is manifested can be analyzed in terms of scientific literacy, emphases, socio-scientific issues, etc. The study compares four textbooks for Physics 1 using a quantitative, but interpreting, text analysis based on a method and coding scheme developed by Engström for investigating how sustainable energy systems is dealt with in education and textbooks for Physics A according to the Swedish curriculum for the upper secondary school from 1994. A comparison is also made between textbooks for Physics 1 and Science studies 1b concerning the energy area in order to compare differences in emphasis between different visions of scientific literacy for the two subjects. Furthermore a qualitative text analysis is made between different editions of the same textbook series about to what extent the divergence can be explained by the difference in curricula. Finally a qualitative text analysis is included about how concepts related to the second law of thermodynamics is dealt with in the textbooks and to what extent this corresponds with other differences. The content analysis indicates that the difference between the textbooks in physics concerning visions of scientific literacy is comparatively small, but larger when it comes to contents related to technical applications. On the other hand, the difference is obvious between the subjects, with the textbooks in physics being dominated by vision I, which is dominated by science as such and its methods, while the textbooks in science studies have a decidedly larger element of vision II, thus including more attempts to set science in its social and political context. The difference in how the textbooks in Physics describe the second law of thermodynamics is in accordance with the quantitative text analysis. To what extent the debate between different views of scientific literacy in Sweden is handled by having separate subjects with partly overlapping contents is discussed. Likewise whether there is a tendency that the formulation in the curriculum conserves the choice of which socio-scientific issue is brought up in the teaching. This would, however, be in conflict with the principle that these should be current and of interest to the students.