Popular science writing to support students’ learning of science and scientific literacy
Författare
Summary, in English
In higher natural science education, the scientific report is the prevailing genre of
writing. Despite the fact that communicative skills are highly valued in working life, earlier
studies have shown deficiencies among science students. In this paper, we highlight the need
for varied communication training, in particularly arguing for the possibilities that students’
popular science writing offers. Our study was based on a questionnaire answered by 64 degree
project students in biology. The questions focused on the students’ own experiences of writing
about their projects for the general public and what contribution the writing made to their
learning of science. A vast majority of the students expressed that the writing helped change
their perspectives and that they saw their subject and project in a different light. Many of the
students described that the popular science writing made it easier for them to put the science
content in a context, to better understand the aim of their own work, and the implications of
their findings. We discuss the positive effects that popular science writing may have on
students’ subject matter understanding and development of scientific literacy. Our concluding
remark is that popular science writing is a useful tool for reflection and that it adds significant
value to the students’ capacity to change perspectives, understand their subject and develop
scientific literacy.
writing. Despite the fact that communicative skills are highly valued in working life, earlier
studies have shown deficiencies among science students. In this paper, we highlight the need
for varied communication training, in particularly arguing for the possibilities that students’
popular science writing offers. Our study was based on a questionnaire answered by 64 degree
project students in biology. The questions focused on the students’ own experiences of writing
about their projects for the general public and what contribution the writing made to their
learning of science. A vast majority of the students expressed that the writing helped change
their perspectives and that they saw their subject and project in a different light. Many of the
students described that the popular science writing made it easier for them to put the science
content in a context, to better understand the aim of their own work, and the implications of
their findings. We discuss the positive effects that popular science writing may have on
students’ subject matter understanding and development of scientific literacy. Our concluding
remark is that popular science writing is a useful tool for reflection and that it adds significant
value to the students’ capacity to change perspectives, understand their subject and develop
scientific literacy.
Avdelning/ar
Publiceringsår
2015-07-04
Språk
Engelska
Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie
Research in Science Education
Dokumenttyp
Artikel i tidskrift
Förlag
Springer
Ämne
- Other Natural Sciences not elsewhere specified
Nyckelord
- Biology
- Higher education
- Popular science writing
- Science
- Writing-to-learn
- Writing skills
Status
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt
- ISSN: 0157-244X