Scientific literacy, or science literacy, encompasses written, numerical and digital literacy as they apply to understanding science, its methodology, its observations and its theories. It emphasizes competency across several dimensions at once: a grasp of the scientific method, measurement standards and empirical approaches, statistical concepts such as correlation, and the distinction between qualitative and quantitative data. It also draws on foundational knowledge spanning disciplines including physics, chemistry, biology, ecology, geology and computation.
Facts
Core Claimthe ability to engage with science-related issues, and with the ideas of science, as a reflective citizen 1 FAQs
Who popularized the phrase science literacy?
Paul Hurd popularized it in 1958.
The phrase science literacy was popularized by Paul Hurd in 1958. The article places this within a longer pattern in which reforms in science education in the United States have often been driven by strategic challenges, such as the launch of the Sputnik satellite in 1957.
Sources
1. Scientific literacy (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationDefinition section, OECD PISA 2015 Framework
the ability to engage with science-related issues, and with the ideas of science, as a reflective citizen
History section, Paul Hurd 1958 paragraph
The phrase science literacy was popularized by Paul Hurd in 1958, when he charged that the immediate problem in education was "one of closing the gap between the wealth of scientific achievement and the poverty of scientific literacy in America"
Lead paragraph, education-level
Scientific literacy or science literacy encompasses written, numerical, and digital literacy as they pertain to understanding science, its methodology, observations, and theories.
View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.