Media-Savvy Scientific Literacy: Developing Critical Evaluation Skills by Investigating Scientific Claims

2012 ◽  
Vol 74 (6) ◽  
pp. 374-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peggy Brickman ◽  
Cara Gormally ◽  
Greg Francom ◽  
Sarah E. Jardeleza ◽  
Virginia G.W. Schutte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Applied Learning ◽  
Education College ◽  
Scientific Claims

Students must learn content knowledge and develop scientific literacy skills to evaluate and use scientific information in real-world situations. Recognizing the accessibility of scientific information to the average citizen, we developed an instructional approach to help students learn how to judge the quality of claims. We describe a project-based applied learning (PAL) approach that utilizes engaging questions about biological issues relevant to students. Working through these projects, students are challenged to evaluate sources of information and communicate their understanding of scientific claims. We discuss challenges that students encounter and offer suggestions for enacting this approach in a general-education college classroom.

scholarly journals Developing a Test of Scientific Literacy Skills (TOSLS): Measuring Undergraduates’ Evaluation of Scientific Information and Arguments

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 364-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cara Gormally ◽  
Peggy Brickman ◽  
Mary Lutz
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
National Research Council ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Curricular Reform ◽  
Undergraduate Biology ◽  
Student Demographics ◽  
Information Measures ◽  
Undergraduate Institutions

Life sciences faculty agree that developing scientific literacy is an integral part of undergraduate education and report that they teach these skills. However, few measures of scientific literacy are available to assess students’ proficiency in using scientific literacy skills to solve scenarios in and beyond the undergraduate biology classroom. In this paper, we describe the development, validation, and testing of the Test of Scientific Literacy Skills (TOSLS) in five general education biology classes at three undergraduate institutions. The test measures skills related to major aspects of scientific literacy: recognizing and analyzing the use of methods of inquiry that lead to scientific knowledge and the ability to organize, analyze, and interpret quantitative data and scientific information. Measures of validity included correspondence between items and scientific literacy goals of the National Research Council and Project 2061, findings from a survey of biology faculty, expert biology educator reviews, student interviews, and statistical analyses. Classroom testing contexts varied both in terms of student demographics and pedagogical approaches. We propose that biology instructors can use the TOSLS to evaluate their students’ proficiencies in using scientific literacy skills and to document the impacts of curricular reform on students’ scientific literacy.

scholarly journals COVID-19 MISINFORMATION: HOW DOES SCIENTIFIC INFORMATION LITERACY PREVENT IT?

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-76
Author(s):  
Muhammad Retsa Rizaldi Mujayapura ◽  
Karim Suryadi ◽  
Sardin Sardin
Keyword(s):  
Information Literacy ◽  
Digital Literacy ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
The Public ◽  
Information Literacy Skills ◽  
News Literacy

This article aims to examine the importance of information literacy and scientific literacy skills to prevent exposure to misinformation in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Believing in misinformation encourages behaviour that is detrimental to individuals and groups due to anxiety, fear, uncertainty, and a lack of critical thinking skills. This study uses a qualitative approach with a systematic literature review (SLR) method. Through the SLR method, this article uses various sources of empirical research by collecting data and information to analyze elements in information literacy and scientific literacy that can identify misinformation. Information literacy is considered to be more useful in preventing belief in misinformation compared to the concepts of digital literacy, media literacy, and news literacy. Information literacy skills with information verification, and supported by scientific literacy with intellectual virtue, can recognize misinformation about COVID-19 so that it can prevent individuals from believing in misinformation that can result in errors of action. Scientific information literacy needs practical intervention to the public, one of which is through the role of educational institutions.

scholarly journals The Development of Test Instruments to Measure the Science Literation Skills of Junior High School Students in Global Warming Themes

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 17-27
Author(s):  
Umi Roufatuz Zahro ◽  
Woro Sumarni ◽  
Suharto Linuwih
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Junior High School ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Literacy Skill ◽  
School Students ◽  
Average Percentage ◽  
Test Instrument

The progress of science and technology in various countries has accelerated toward the 21 century. The measurement of scientific literacy is very important to find out the extent to which students have been literated in science as an effort to improve the quality of education in Indonesia. The preparation of test instruments based on scientific literacy is an effort to measure the literacy skills of students in the field of science. The purpose of this study was to develop a valid, practical and effective science literacy test instrument to measure the scientific literacy skills of students on the theme of global warming. The research method used in this study was the method of Research and Development (R & D) with the research design of ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation). The final product in this research development is a scientific literacy-based test instrument to measure the scientific literacy skill of students that have been declared valid and feasible by experts and is valid in the content, in the form of 20 reasonable multiple-choice questions that are tailored to the indicators of the scientific literacy, complete with a grid of questions, answer keys, and bibliography. Based on the results, it is concluded that the validity of the test instruments received an average percentage of 79.99% and was included in the category of valid and feasible to use. The practicality of the test instrument is in the very practical category seen based on the results of student responses by 87.5% and teacher responses by 94.23%. The effectiveness of the test instrument is in the effective category, Since this studycan reveal or position the scientific literacy skills of students into three criteria items, namely high, medium, and low, it can be used as input and thought contribution in an effort to improve the quality of making the test instruments to measure the skill of scientific literacy on the theme of global warming.

Argumentation to foster pre-service science teachers’ knowledge, competency, and attitude on the domains of chemical literacy of acids and bases

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 288-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Cigdemoglu ◽  
H. O. Arslan ◽  
A. Cam
Keyword(s):  
Science Teachers ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Service Science ◽  
Science Classrooms ◽  
Paired Sample ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Acids And Bases ◽  
Study Participants

Argumentative practices have the potential to contribute to scientific literacy. However, these practices are not widely incorporated in science classrooms and so their effect on the domains of literacy is still not revealed. Therefore, this study proposes to reveal the effect of argumentation on the three domains of chemical literacy related to the concepts of acids and bases. The study participants comprised 29 freshman pre-service science teachers’ enrolled in a General Chemistry-II course. Argumentation practices were implemented over six weeks. Open-ended contextual chemical literacy items were developed to assess the differences in the chemical literacy domains and the items were administered before and right after the intervention. The responses to the chemical literacy items were scored with a rubric and three scores were calculated: knowledge, competency, and attitudes. Paired samplet-tests were used to compare the mean scores. All the intervention sessions were video recorded, and three of them were analyzed according to three criteria: the presence of arguments, the frequency of arguments, and the levels of the arguments. The findings revealed that the argumentation practices contributed to the pre-service teachers’ chemical literacy skills, mostly to their knowledge and competencies when compared to their attitudes. Moreover, distinct differences in the quality of argumentation levels were observed over the six weeks.

scholarly journals Types of outcomes in research: what is their importance?

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 267
Author(s):  
José Francisco Dos Santos ◽  
Renata Sena Dos Santos ◽  
Antônio Marcos Andrade Da Costa
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Sports Science ◽  
Expert Opinions ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Decision Making Model

Currently, in the field of sports science, we are increasingly experiencing the transition from a decision-making model based on isolated expert opinions to an evidence-based decision model. This process demands that professionals have the skills and competence to carry out a systematic critical assessment of the available scientific information, before applying an intervention. Evidence-based practice is a strategy aimed at improving the quality of care for clients or patients. This approach involves the definition of a problem, the search and critical evaluation of the available scientific evidence, the application of that evidence in clinical practice and finally the quantitative and or qualitative evaluation of the results [1]...

scholarly journals ANALISIS KETERAMPILAN LITERASI SAINS MAHASISWA DENGAN TOSLS

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Degi Alrinda Agustina ◽  
Lili Rahmawati
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Learning Models ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Innovative Learning ◽  
The University

This study aims to analyze the scientific literacy skills of PGSD students at the University of Borneo Tarakan with the Test of Scientific Literacy Skills (TOSLS). TOSLS is a test that measures skills related to the main aspects of scientific literacy, namely recognizing and analyzing the use of investigative methods that lead to scientific knowledge and skills to organize, analyze, and interpret quantitative data and scientific information. This study uses qualitative research, namely by analyzing and describing the main aspects of student scientific literacy with TOSLS. The results showed that the students 'scientific literacy skills were still in poor criteria as indicated by the students' skills in understanding the method of investigation that led to scientific knowledge of 59.54%, and the skills of organizing, analyzing, and interpreting quantitative data and scientific information by 54.56%. The results of this research become the basis for further research with innovative learning models and teaching materials to improve students' scientific literacy. 

scholarly journals Enhancing student scientific literacy through participation in citizen science focused on companion animal behavior

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
A M Oberbauer ◽  
E Lai ◽  
N A Kinsey ◽  
T R Famula
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Student Interest ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Self Perception ◽  
Animal Science ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
South Axis

Abstract The Covid-19 pandemic served as the impetus to implement activities designed to engage students in the remote instructional environment while simultaneously developing scientific literacy skills. In a high enrollment general education animal science course, numerous activities were designed to improve scientific literacy. These included specifically developed videos covering strategies for reading published science literature, the utilization of topically relevant scientific articles that captured student interest, and engaging students in a citizen science exercise on whether dogs align themselves to the Earth’s magnetic field during excretion behavior. Employing pre- and post- self-perception surveys coupled with tasking students to apply their scientific literacy skills in an assessment scenario demonstrated that students’ self-perception of their scientific literacy improved 30% (p < 0.05) with approximately 80% of students accurately applying their literacy skills. The citizen science study on excretory behavior was modeled on previously published findings thereby providing an opportunity to validate the published work which had indicated that dogs align their bodies in a North-South axis during excretion. The present study did not demonstrate preferential alignment to any geomagnetic orientation which emphasized to the students the need for scientific replication. Inclusion of simple activities that were relevant to students’ daily lives, and providing interpretive context for those activities, resulted in improved self-perceived scientific literacy.

scholarly journals Como ler um texto acadêmico? Diretrizes para estudantes universitários

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Torres Sahão
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
University Students ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Scientific Article ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Academic Texts ◽  
Text Information

Objetivo. Propor diretrizes para orientar estudantes universitários na leitura de textos acadêmicos. Desenvolvimento. O artigo apresenta dados sobre a importância do desenvolvimento de um repertório de leitura eficiente e ações a serem apresentadas pelos estudantes para que sejam capazes de ler textos acadêmicos de forma mais produtiva e crítica, divididas em oito diretrizes, sendo elas: caracterizar a estrutura de um texto acadêmico; definir objetivos para a leitura; elaborar perguntas com base no título e subtítulos; avaliar a própria compreensão do texto; avaliar as informações apresentadas; identificar informações desconhecidas; relacionar as informações do texto com outras fontes de informação; e produzir algo novo a partir da leitura. Implicações. Espera-se que as diretrizes apresentadas auxiliem estudantes ou profissionais que necessitem aperfeiçoar o repertório de leitura de textos acadêmicos, e que possam utilizar esse conhecimento também diante de outras fontes de informação, examinando notícias e textos de forma mais crítica e autônoma.Palavras-chave. Leitura funcional; Artigo científico; Avaliação crítica; Ensino superior; Letramento científico. How to read an academic text? Guidelines for college studentsAbstract:Objective. Propose guidelines to guide university students in the reading of academic texts. Development. The article presents data on the importance of developing an efficient reading repertoire and actions to be presented by students so that they are able to read academic texts in a more productive and critical way, divided into eight guidelines, which are: to characterize the structure of an academic text; define objectives for reading; prepare questions based on title and subtitles; evaluate the very understanding of the text; evaluate the information presented; identify unknown information; relate text information to other sources of information; and produce something new from reading. Implications. It is expected that the guidelines presented can help students or professionals who need to improve the repertoire of reading academic texts, and who can use this knowledge also to read other sources of information, examining news and texts in a more critical and autonomous way.Keywords. Functional reading; scientific article; critical evaluation; higher education; scientific literacy. 

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