Scientific literacyis the knowledge and understanding ofscientificconcepts and processes required for personal decision making, participation in civic and cultural affairs, and economic productivity. It also includes specific types of abilities.
A scientifically literate person is defined as one who has the capacity to:
- Understand,experiment, andreasonas well as interpret scientific facts and their meaning.
- Ask, find, or determine answers to questions derived from curiosity about everyday experiences.
- Describe, explain, and predictnatural phenomena.
- Read articles with understanding of science in thepopular pressand engage in social conversation about thevalidity
- Identify scientific issues underlying national and local decisions and express positions that are scientifically and technologically informed.
- Evaluate the quality of scientific information on the basis of its source and the methods used to generate it.
- Pose and evaluateargumentsbased on evidence and to apply conclusions from such arguments appropriately.[2]
- Explain phenomena scientifically – recognize, offer and evaluate explanations for a range of natural and technological phenomena.
- Evaluate and design scientific inquiry – describe and appraise scientific investigations and propose ways of addressing questions scientifically.
- Interpret data and evidence scientifically – analyze and evaluate data, claims and arguments in a variety of representations and draw appropriate scientific conclusions.
The OECD PISA Framework (2015) defines scientific literacy as “the ability to engage with science-related issues, and with the ideas of science, as a reflective citizen.”[3]A scientifically literate person, therefore, is willing to engage in reasoned discourse about science and technology which requires the competencies to:
To sum up the issue, we should encourage and teach our students to have a sense of scientific literacy in order for them to develop an easy access of the terms, definitions, concepts, researches, and and articles to further equip them to an easier understanding the natural phenomena. We understand that science should be learned in depth and not in breadth, the value of understanding more of the concept and less of merely memorizing the topics. As teachers, we can mold them to become great and observe scientifically. In this way, we are making them develop things and discover concepts and literacy on their own, thus a scientist possess this very trait. Inculcate to them early the importance of scientific literacy and easier learning will follow through.
Reference: https://www.google.com.ph/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=WDXLWIvdDrDz8AeuhJGgCg&gws_rd=ssl#q=scientific+literacy&*
Reference: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_literacy
By: Jeddah P. Valencia | St. Catherine of Siena Academy
