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Re: [Phys-l] Scientific Literacy in America



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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 Šprofoundly 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."
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[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)]. . . . . . .
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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.
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[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.
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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."


Richard Hake, Emeritus Professor of Physics, Indiana University
24245 Hatteras Street, Woodland Hills, CA 91367
<rrhake@earthlink.net>
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake>
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~sdi>


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>.

Dean, C. 2005. "Scientific Savvy? In U.S., Not Much," New York Times, August 30, online at <http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/30/science/30profile.html?_r=1&oref=slogin>.

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).

Hake, R.R. 2007. "Can Scientific Research Enhance the Art of Teaching?" invited talk, AAPT Greensboro meeting, 31 July, online at <http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake/Sci&Art3.pdf> (1.2 MB), or as ref. 50 at
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake/>. See also Hake (2000).

Hobson, A. 2008a. "Scientific literacy in America," PHYSOC post of 12 Mar 2008 09:03:58 -0500; online at <http://tinyurl.com/25yg5q>.

Hobson, A. 2008b. "Are we scientifically literate?" Northwest Arkansas Times, 15 Mar 2008; online at <http://physics.uark.edu/hobson/NWAT/08.03.15.html>.

Hobson, A. 2008c. "Re: Scientific literacy in America," PHYSOC post of 13 Mar 2008 09:20:31-0500; online at <http://tinyurl.com/2gffw7>.

Miller, J. 2006. "Civic Scientific Literacy in Europe and the United States," Paper presented at the annual meeting of the World Association for Public Opinion Research <http://www.unl.edu/WAPOR/>, Montreal, Canada; online at <http://www.arcsfoundation.org/Pittsburgh/JMiller.pdf> (52 kB).

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."