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ABSTRACT: Art Hobson, in a piece for his local
newspaper titled "Are we scientifically
literate?" discussed the survey research of Jon
Miller indicating that (a) the scientifically
literate fraction of the adult population in 34
nations tested in 2005, rose above 30 percent in
only one nation: Sweden, with 35 percent. THE
U.S. WAS SECOND WITH 28 PERCENT; and (b) the
relatively high literate fraction in the U.S. was
probably due to the fact that the U.S. is the
only major nation to require that college
students study general education topics,
including science, outside of their chosen
profession. Nevertheless, scientific literacy
courses are given short shrift in most U.S.
colleges.
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Art Hobson (2008a), in his PHYSOC post of 12
March 2008 titled "Scientific literacy in
America" wrote [my insert at ". . . . .[insert].
. . ."]
"I'm attaching my latest column . . . .[Hobson
(2008b) online at
<http://physics.uark.edu/hobson/NWAT/08.03.15.html>.
]. . . . written for my local paper, the
Northwest Arkansas (NWA) Times, titled "Are we
scientifically literate?"
In his NWA Times article Art wrote [bracketed by
lines "HHHHH. . . . "; my insert at ". . . . .
.[insert]. . . . ."; my CAPS]:
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
The late Carl Sagan, astronomer and irrepressible
purveyor of science to the general public, in
1995 famously stated: "We've arranged a global
civilization in which most crucial elements
profoundly depend on science and technology. We
have also arranged things so that almost no one
understands science and technology. This is a
prescription for disaster. We might get away with
it for a while, but sooner or later this
combustible mixture of ignorance and power is
going to blow up in our faces."
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[Jon Miller
<http://polisci.msu.edu/people/miller.htm> - for
a news report see Dean (2005)]. . .. . . . . has
developed a continually updated core set of
questions used since 1988 in studies of adults in
most industrial nations. A score of 70 on these
tests represents sufficient knowledge to
understand science and technology stories in the
daily newspapers, while a person scoring much
below 70 would have a difficult time making sense
of current debates about global warming,
embryonic stem cells, etc. Thus, a score of 70
or more marks a person as "scientifically
literate."
Among the 34 nations tested (using standard
sampling techniques) in 2005, the scientifically
literate fraction - the nation's "scientific
literacy rate" - of the adult population rose
above 30 percent in only one nation: Sweden,
with 35 percent. THE U.S. WAS SECOND WITH 28
PERCENT. Netherlands, Norway, Finland, and
Denmark were between 20 and 25 percent. Britain
and 14 other western Europeans nations had
scientific literacy rates between 10 and 19
percent. Japan and 12 other nations had rates
below 10 percent. . . . ..[See Table 3 and Fig. 1
of "Civic Scientific Literacy in Europe and the
United States" (Miller, 2006)]. . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Miller notes that the U.S. is the only major
nation to require that college students study
"general education" topics outside of their
chosen profession. Students of business,
engineering, music, and so forth must take
several courses in history, languages, fine arts,
and science.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[Miller] FOUND THAT THE NUMBER OF SCIENCE COURSES
TAKEN IN COLLEGE WAS THE STRONGEST PREDICTOR OF
SCIENCE LITERACY. . . . . The lesson is that all
nations can significantly increase their adult
scientific literacy by requiring that non-science
college students take a few science courses
designed for non-scientists.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Scientific literacy courses are given short
shrift in most U.S. colleges, including the
University of Arkansas. They tend to be at the
bottom of most science departments' priorities.
Universities and scientists should move these
courses from the bottom to the top of their
priority lists, even (especially) above research.
THE FUTURE OF THE PLANET DEPENDS ON IT.
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
For further evidence of the scientific illiteracy
of the general population see, e.g., "Science and
Engineering Indicators" [NSB (2006)]. According
to the National Science Board:
"Less than half the American population accepts
the theory of evolution. Whether and how the
theory of evolution is taught in public schools
remains one of the most contentious issues in
science education."
"Despite their favorable attitudes, most people
do not know a lot about Science & Technology
(S&T). Many do not seem to have a firm
understanding of basic scientific facts and
concepts, knowledge that is necessary not only
for an understanding of S&T-related issues but
also for good citizenship. Even more worrisome is
a lack of familiarity with the scientific
process."
I agree with the tenor or Art's provocative last
sentence " The future of the planet depends on
it." In "Can Scientific Research Enhance the
Art of Teaching?" [Hake (2007)] I wrote:
"Although international competitiveness is often
cited by educational leaders, politicians, and
business executives -see e.g., 'Rising Above the
Gathering Storm' [COSEPUP (2006)] - more crucial
in my view is the need to overcome the monumental
problems now threatening life on planet Earth."
REFERENCES
COSEPUP. 2005. COmmittee on Science, Engineering,
and PUblic Policy, "Rising Above the Gathering
Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a
Brighter Future," National Academies Press;
online at
<http://books.nap.edu/catalog/11463.html>.
Hake, R.R. 2000. "The General Population's
Ignorance of Science Related Societal Issues: A
Challenge for the University," AAPT Announcer
30(2): 105; online at
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake/GuelphSocietyG.pdf>
(2.1 MB).
Miller, J. 2007. "The impact of college science
courses for non-science majors on adult
scientific literacy," presented at the 2007
annual meeting of the AAAS, Miller evidently told
Hobson that parts of this paper will appear in
the "Journal of Higher Education
<http://www.ohiostatepress.org/Journals/JHE/jhemain.htm>."
NSB. 2006. National Science Board, "Science and
Engineering Indicators"; online at
<http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/seind06/>,
especially Chapter 7 "Science and Technology:
Public Attitudes and Understanding."