Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Public Understanding Of Science: Science Literacy And Its Implications For Effective Public Policy Formulation, Sara C. Hickox

Theses and Major Papers

The focus of this paper is to analyze contemporary literature dealing with public understanding of science, the role of the public in formulation of public policy related to science and technology issues, and the role of science education in combating scientific illiteracy. An attempt is made to synthesize information about the state of scientific literacy (sometimes called technological, ecological, or environmental literacy) and to assess the implications of an increase in the public's knowledge of science and technology in their becoming more involved in the public policy arena. Further, this paper addresses the increasingly important role of formal and non-formal …