ERIC Number: EJ860278
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008-Oct
Pages: 3
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0031-921X
EISSN: N/A
The Surprising Effectiveness of College Scientific Literacy Courses
Hobson, Art
Physics Teacher, v46 n7 p404-406 Oct 2008
Research by Jon Miller, professor of Interdisciplinary Studies and director of the International Center for Scientific Literacy at Michigan State University, shows that the U.S. scientific literacy course requirements for nonscience college students pull the United States into second place in international rankings of adult scientific literacy. This despite the poor science scores of U.S. primary and secondary school students as compared with other nations. The far lower adult scientific literacy rankings of most European nations and other industrialized nations appear to be due to the lack of any such college scientific literacy requirement in those nations. Instituting such a requirement in all nations, and improving the quality and quantity of such courses on U.S. campuses, would increase global scientific literacy significantly, arguably doubling Europe's scientific literacy rate. In view of this result and today's crying need for scientific literacy, physics educators should make physics for nonscientists their top priority.
Descriptors: Physics, Foreign Countries, International Education, Comparative Education, Required Courses, College Curriculum, Science Education, Science Instruction, Scientific Concepts, College Science, College Students, College Instruction, Scientific Literacy
American Association of Physics Teachers. One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740. Tel: 301-209-3300; Fax: 301-209-0845; e-mail: pubs@aapt.org; Web site: http://scitation.aip.org/tpt
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United States
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A