A Case to Study: Fostering Scientific Literacy in Non-Majors

Abstract

Preparing a person for life beyond a classroom has been a priority of the science education reform movement. Researchers have proposed the use of Socioscientific Issues (SSI) as a way of helping learners become scientifically literate members of society. This investigation examined the effects of a SSI based curriculum on students’ ability to interpret scientific information and changes in their epistemological beliefs. Qualitative data from multiple sources were analyzed. Students’ interpretative skills of science as well as their beliefs about the nature of knowledge, simplicity of knowledge, and perceptions of their ability to learn science improved.