ERIC Number: EJ875377
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010-Mar
Pages: 51
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0305-7267
EISSN: N/A
Science Education and Democratic Participation: An Uneasy Congruence?
Levinson, Ralph
Studies in Science Education, v46 n1 p69-119 Mar 2010
Contemporary policy statements from government and reforms to science curricula in schools emphasise the importance of educating a scientifically literate public for democratic participation in science and technology. While such an aspiration is seemingly uncontentious and appears consistent with progressive educational thinking, the reality of democratic participation is problematic. I propose four frameworks for describing democratic participation in schools. The first two--deficit and deliberative democracy--fulfil a limited role for democratic participation. "Science education as praxis" and "science education for conflict and dissent" present more radical programmes but reflect tensions with the dominant discourse of scientific literacy and citizenship as reflected in school curricula. To operationalise aspects of democratic participation, teachers need to make explicit the role of scientific knowledge and decision-making within each framework. While radical change is likely to meet with resistance, this process will in turn generate new discourses about the problems and opportunities of democratic participation. (Contains 1 note, 2 tables, and 2 figures.)
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Educational Policy, Human Capital, Scientific Literacy, Citizen Participation, Science and Society, Democracy, Science Education, Educational Change, Decision Making, Controversial Issues (Course Content), Teacher Responsibility
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A