Skip to main content

Introduction: Socio-scientific Issues as Promoting Responsible Citizenship and the Relevance of Science

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Science Teacher Education for Responsible Citizenship

Part of the book series: Contemporary Trends and Issues in Science Education ((CTISE,volume 52))

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to present the purpose of the book, and explain the importance of including socioscientific issues in education. In this chapter we aim to discuss the importance of socioscientific education, especially in connection with responsible citizenship and relevance of science, and present the chapters.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 119.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 159.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Achieve. (2013). The next generation science standards (pp. 1–3). Retrieved from http://www.nextgenscience.org/

  • Aikenhead, G. S. (2006). Science education for everyday life: evidence-based practice. New York: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alsop, S., & Bencze, L. (2012). In search of activist pedagogies in SMTE. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 12(4), 394–408. https://doi.org/10.1080/14926156.2012.732256.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bencze, L., & Carter, L. (2011). Globalizing students acting for the common good. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 48(6), 648–669.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • European Commission. (2004). Europe needs more scientists (pp. 1–24). Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.

    Google Scholar 

  • European Commission. (2015). Science education for responsible citizenship (pp. 1–88). Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evagorou, M. (2011). Discussing a socioscientific issue in a primary school classroom: The case of using a technology-supported environment in formal and nonformal settings. In Socio-scientific issues in the classroom (Vol. 39, pp. 133–159). Dordrecht: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1159-4_8.

  • Evagorou, M., Albe, V., Angelides, P., Couso, D., Chirlesan, G., Evans, R. H.,... Nielsen, J. A. (2014a). Preparing preservice science teachers to teach socioscientific (SSI) argumentation. Science Teacher Education, 69, 39–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evagorou, M., Guven, D., & Mugaloglu, E. (2014b). Preparing elementary and secondary pre-service teachers for everyday science. Science Education International, 25(1), 68–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evagorou, M., & Puig, B. (2017). Engaging elementary school pre-service teachers in modeling a socioscientific issue as a way to help them appreciate the social aspects of science. International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science and Technology, 5(2), 113–123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Forbes, C. T., & Davis, E. A. (2007). Exploring preservice elementary teachers’ critique and adaptation of science curriculum materials in respect to socioscientific issues. Science & Education, 17(8–9), 829–854. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-007-9080-z.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kolstø, S. D. (2001). Scientific literacy for citizenship: Tools for dealing with the science dimension of controversial socioscientific issues. Science Education, 85(3), 291–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, Y. C., & Grace, M. (2012). Students’ reasoning and decision making about a socioscientific issue: A cross-context comparison. Science Education, 96(5), 787–807. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21021.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levinson, R. (2006). Towards a theoretical framework for teaching controversial socio-scientific issues. International Journal of Science Education, 28(10), 1201–1224. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500690600560753.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Owen, R., Macnaghten, P., & Stilgoe, J. (2012). Responsible research and innovation: From science in society to science for society, with society. Science and Public Policy, 39(6), 751–760. https://doi.org/10.1093/scipol/scs093.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patronis, T., Potari, D., & Spiliotopoulou, V. (1999). Students’ argumentation in decision-making on a socio-scientific issue: Implications for teaching. International Journal of Science Education, 21(7), 745–754. https://doi.org/10.1080/095006999290408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, D. A. (2007). Scientific literacy/science literacy. In S. K. Abell & N. G. Lederman (Eds.), Handbook of research on science education (pp. 729–780). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sadler, T. D. (2004). Moral sensitivity and its contribution to the resolution of socio-scientific issues. Journal of Moral Education, 33(3), 339–358. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305724042000733091.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sadler, T. D., & Zeidler, D. L. (2004). Patterns of informal reasoning in the context of socioscientific decision making. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 42(1), 112–138. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.20042.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sadler, T. D., Barab, S. A., & Scott, B. (2007). What do students gain by engaging in Socioscientific inquiry? Research in Science Education, 37(4), 371–391. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-006-9030-9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sampson, V., Simon, S., Amos, R., & Evagorou, M. (2011). Metalogue: Engaging students in scientific and socio-scientific argumentation. In Socio-scientific issues in the classroom (Vol. 39, pp. 193–199). Dordrecht: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1159-4_11.

  • Shoulders, C., & Myers, B. (2013). Socioscientific issues-based instruction: An investigation of agriscience students’ content knowledge based on student variables. Journal of Agricultural Education, 54(3), 140–156. https://doi.org/10.5032/jae.2013.03140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simonneaux, L. (2014). From promoting the techno-sciences to activism – A variety of objectives involved in the teaching of SSIs. In L. Bencze & S. Alsop (Eds.), Activist science and technology education (pp. 99–111). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Simonneaux, L., & Simonneaux, J. (2008). Socio-scientific reasoning influenced by identities. Cultural Studies of Science Education, 4(3), 705–711. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11422-008-9145-6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sjöström, J., & Eilks, I. (2018). Reconsidering different visions of scientific literacy and science education based on the concept of Bildung. In Y. Dori, Z. Mevarech, & D. Baker (Eds.), Cognition, metacognition, and culture in STEM education. Innovations in science education and technology (Vol. 24). Cham: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stuckey, M., Hofstein, A., Mamlok-Naaman, R., & Eilks, I. (2013). The meaning of “relevance” in science education and its implications for the science curriculum. Studies in Science Education, 49(1), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057267.2013.802463.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tidemand, S., & Nielsen, J. A. (2016). The role of socioscientific issues in biology teaching: From the perspective of teachers. International Journal of Science Education, 39(1), 44–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2016.1264644.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Topcu, M. S., Sadler, T. D., & Yilmaz Tuzun, O. (2010). Preservice science teachers’ informal reasoning about socioscientific issues: The influence of issue context. International Journal of Science Education, 32(18), 2475–2495. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500690903524779.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeidler, D. L. (2014). Socioscientific issues as a curriculum emphasis. In N. G. Lederman & S. K. Abell (Eds.), Handbook of research on Science Education (pp. 697–726). New York/Oxfordshire: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeidler, D. L., Osborne, J., Erduran, S., Simon, S., & Monk, M. (2003). The role of argument during discourse about socioscientific issues. In The role of moral reasoning on socioscientific issues and discourse in science education (pp. 97–116). Dordrecht: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4996-X_6.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Zeidler, D. L., Sadler, T. D., Simmons, M. L., & Howes, E. V. (2005). Beyond STS: A research-based framework for socioscientific issues education. Science Education, 89(3), 357–377. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.20048.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zeidler, D. L., Berkowitz, M. W., & Bennett, K. (2014). Thinking (scientifically) responsibly: The cultivation of character in a global science education community. In Assessing schools for generation R (responsibility) (Vol. 41, pp. 83–99). Dordrecht: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2748-9_7.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria Evagorou .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Evagorou, M., Dillon, J. (2020). Introduction: Socio-scientific Issues as Promoting Responsible Citizenship and the Relevance of Science. In: Evagorou, M., Nielsen, J.A., Dillon, J. (eds) Science Teacher Education for Responsible Citizenship. Contemporary Trends and Issues in Science Education, vol 52. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-40229-7_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-40229-7_1

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-40228-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-40229-7

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics