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Conceptions of Scientific Literacy: Identifying and Evaluating Their Programmatic Elements

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International Handbook of Research in History, Philosophy and Science Teaching

Abstract

Programmatic concepts have elements that point in a valued direction or name a desired goal. We provide a detailed analysis of the nature of programmatic concepts and cite examples of the programmatic elements found in conceptions of scientific literacy. Next we describe what values underlie these elements and what theories of value might be brought to bear in assessing them. We present an analysis of approximately 70 conceptions of scientific literacy found in the literature since the year 2000. We identify the goals that each of these conceptions of scientific literacy implies and uncover the programmatic elements that are used to justify these goals. Our purpose is to present a sufficiently wide range of views to have a good representation of goals and programmatic elements. Third, we point to a number of pitfalls in any attempt to make preferential selections among the programmatic elements of conceptions of scientific literacy.

Sadly Stephen Norris passed away prior to publication of the handbook

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Research in Youth, Science Teaching and Learning, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G5, Canada

    Stephen P. Norris

  2. Canadian Centre for Research on Literacy, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2G5, Canada

    Linda M. Phillips

  3. Department of Educational Studies, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, BC, V3W 2M8, Canada

    David P. Burns

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  1. Stephen P. Norris
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  2. Linda M. Phillips
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Correspondence to Linda M. Phillips .

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  1. School of Education, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Michael R. Matthews

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Norris, S.P., Phillips, L.M., Burns, D.P. (2014). Conceptions of Scientific Literacy: Identifying and Evaluating Their Programmatic Elements. In: Matthews, M. (eds) International Handbook of Research in History, Philosophy and Science Teaching. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7654-8_40

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