Predictors of Student's Attitudes Toward Science Literacy

Being information and science literate are crucial in an age when scientific developments influence the political arena and vice versa. In order to become active and responsible citizens, students must understand such issues as global warming and stem cell research. Furthermore, they must be lifelong learners, capable of researching and educating themselves about new scientific developments. These are some of the complex issues that information literacy educators must address. This article reports on the results of a survey of student’s attitudes towards science literacy and lifelong learning, and on variables associated with their attitudes. Most of the students’ attitudes were positive, especially those who majored in one of the science disciplines.

[1]  Mary Iber,et al.  A Physics Professor and a Science Librarian Challenge Non-Majors to Evaluate Science. , 2009 .

[2]  Teresa Y. Neely,et al.  A Baseline Information Literacy Assessment of Biology Students , 2006 .

[3]  Acrl.  Information literacy standards for science and engineering/technology Approved at ALA Annual Conference, June 2006 , 2006 .

[4]  Engaging Participatory Literacy through Science Zines , 2010 .

[5]  Motomu Ibaraki,et al.  Scientists are talking, but mostly to each other: a quantitative analysis of research represented in mass media , 2010 .

[6]  Marshall D. Sundberg,et al.  Science Majors vs Nonmajors: Is There a Difference?. , 1993 .

[7]  H. Ramachandran,et al.  Science Education and Information Literacy: A Grass-Roots Effort to Support Science Literacy in Schools , 2010 .

[8]  Benjamin S. P. Shen,et al.  Science Literacy and the Public Understanding of Science , 1975 .

[9]  Irina I. Holden.  Science Literacy and Lifelong Learning in the Classroom: A Measure of Attitudes among University Students , 2010 .

[10]  ClVIC SCIENTIFIC LlTERACY AND ATTITUDE TO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, THE UNITED STATES, JAPAN, AND CANADA , 2005 .

[12]  Jean E. Wallace,et al.  Do Factors that Differentiate Science and Nonscience Majors Predict Majoring in Science , 2001 .

[13]  Peggy A. Pritchard.  The Embedded Science Librarian: Partner in Curriculum Design and Delivery , 2010, Emerging Practices in Science and Technology Librarianship.

[14]  Jon D. Miller.  Adult Science Learning in the Internet Era , 2010 .

[15]  Ruth E. Beattie.  Information Literacy in Introductory Biology , 2011 .

[16]  Sara J. Penhale,et al.  Non-science majors gain valuable insight studying clinical trials literature: an evidence-based medicine library assignment. , 2004, Advances in physiology education.

[17]  H. Schweingruber,et al.  Surrounded by science : learning science in informal environments , 2010 .

[18]  Marshall D. Sundberg,et al.  Decreasing course content improves student comprehension of science and attitudes towards science in freshman biology , 1994 .

[19]  Jon D. Miller.  Public Understanding of, and Attitudes toward, Scientific Research: What We Know and What We Need to Know , 2004 .

[20]  Erika G. Offerdahl,et al.  Comparison of Views of the Nature of Science between Natural Science and Nonscience Majors , 2010, CBE life sciences education.

[21]  Thomas P. Mackey,et al.  Reframing Information Literacy as a Metaliteracy , 2011, Coll. Res. Libr..