---
title: "Scientific literacy"
chunk: 3/3
source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_literacy"
category: "reference"
tags: "science, encyclopedia"
date_saved: "2026-05-05T04:21:31.716579+00:00"
instance: "kb-cron"
---

== Promoting and measuring ==
Proponents of scientific literacy tend to focus on what is learned by the time a student graduates from high school. Science literacy has always been an important element of the standards movement in education. All science literacy documents have been drafted with the explicit intent of influencing educational standards, as a means to drive curriculum, teaching, assessment, and ultimately, learning nationwide. Moreover, scientific literacy provides an important basis for making informed social decisions. Science is a human process carried out in a social context, which makes it relevant as a part of our science education. In order for people to make evidence-informed decision, everyone should seek to improve their scientific literacy.
Relevant research has suggested ways to promote scientific literacy to students more efficiently. Programs to promote scientific literacy among students abound, including several programs sponsored by technology companies, as well as quiz bowls and science fairs. A partial list of such programs includes the Global Challenge Award, the National Ocean Sciences Bowl and Action Bioscience.
Some organizations have attempted to compare the scientific literacy of adults in different countries.  The OECD found that scientific literacy in the United States is not measurably different from the OECD average. Science News reports "The new U.S. rate, based on questionnaires administered in 2008, is seven percentage points behind Sweden, the only European nation to exceed the Americans.  The U.S. figure is slightly higher than that for Denmark, Finland, Norway and the Netherlands. And it's double the 2005 rate in the United Kingdom (and the collective rate for the European Union)."
University educators are attempting to develop reliable instruments to measure scientific literacy, and the use of concept inventories is increasing in the fields of physics, astronomy, chemistry, biology and earth science.

== See also ==

== Notes ==

== References ==
Adams, W. K.; Perkins, K. K.; Podolefsky, N. S.; Dubson, M.; Finkelstein, N. D.; Wieman, C. E. (2006). "A new instrument for measuring student beliefs about physics and learning physics: the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey". Physical Review Special Topics - Physics Education Research. 2 (1) 010101. Bibcode:2006PRPER...2a0101A. doi:10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.2.010101.
American Association for the Advancement of Science (1993). Benchmarks for Science Literacy. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-508986-8.
American Institute of Biological Sciences (2011). "Action Bioscience". Retrieved 20 September 2011.
Bloom, B. S.; Engelhart, M. D.; Furst, E. J.; Hill, W. H.; Krathwohl, D. R. (1969). Taxonomy of educational objectives: the classification of educational goals. Addison-Wesley. ISBN 978-0-679-30211-7.
Chemistry Literacy Project (2009). "Chemistry Literacy Project". Retrieved 20 September 2011.
Climate Literacy Network (2011). "Climate Literacy". Retrieved 20 September 2011.
Cudaback, Cynthia (2008). "Ocean Literacy: There's more to it than content". Oceanography. 21 (4): 10–11. Bibcode:2008Ocgpy..21d..10C. doi:10.5670/oceanog.2008.21.
Earth Science Literacy Initiative (2009). "Earth Science Literacy Principles: The Big Ideas and Supporting Concepts of Earth Science". Retrieved 20 September 2011.
Gamire, Elsa; Pearson, Greg, eds. (2006). Tech Tally: Approaches to Assessing Technological Literacy. National Academies Press. doi:10.17226/11691. ISBN 978-0-309-10183-7.
Hobson, Art (2003). "Physics literacy, energy and the environment" (PDF). Physics Education. 38 (2): 109–114. Bibcode:2003PhyEd..38..109H. doi:10.1088/0031-9120/38/2/301. S2CID 250742800.
Libarkin, J. C.; Ward, E. M. G.; Anderson, S. W.; Kortemeyer, G.; Raeburn, S. P. (2011). "Revisiting the Geoscience Concept Inventory: A call to the community". GSA Today. 21 (8): 26–28. Bibcode:2011GSAT...21h..26L. doi:10.1130/G110GW.1.
Klymkowsky, Michael W.; Underwood, Sonia M.; Garvin-Doxas, R. Kathleen (2010). "Biological Concepts Instrument (BCI): A diagnostic tool for revealing student thinking". arXiv:1012.4501v1 [q-bio.OT].
National Academy of Sciences (1996). National Science Education Standards (Report). National Academy Press.
National Center for Education Statistics (2011). "International Mathematics and Science Literacy (Indicator 16-2011)". The Condition of Education. Archived from the original on 31 January 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
NOAA (2008). "Estuarine Literacy". estuaries.gov. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
"Ocean Literacy: Understanding the Ocean‵s influence on you and your influence on the Ocean". Ocean Literacy Network. 2011. Archived from the original on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
Ohio Sea Grant College Program (2010). "Great Lakes Literacy". Archived from the original on 21 April 2021. Retrieved 20 September 2011.
Rutherford, F. James; Ahlgren, Andrew (1991). Science for All Americans: Education for a changing future. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-506771-2.
Rutherford, F. James (1997). "Sputnik and science education". Reflecting on Sputnik: Linking the Past, Present and Future of Educational Reform. Washington, DC: National Academy of Sciences.
UCAR (2007). "Atmospheric Science Literacy: Essential Principles and Fundamental Concepts of Atmospheric Science". Retrieved 20 September 2011.
Wright, Robin (2005). "Undergraduate Biology Courses for Nonscientists: Toward a Lived Curriculum". Cell Biology Education. 4 (3): 189–196. doi:10.1187/cbe.05-04-0075. PMC 1201698. PMID 16220140.
Raloff, Janet (March 13, 2010). "Science literacy: U.S. college courses really count". Science News. Archived from the original on 15 June 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2020.

== Further reading ==