Skip to main content

Science as Dynamic Practice

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Imagination of Science in Education

Part of the book series: Cultural Studies of Science Education ((CSSE,volume 7))

  • 733 Accesses

Abstract

In this chapter, we depart from the presupposition that science education reform must anticipate the scientific literacy required by the next generation of citizens. Particularly, this counts for rapidly emerging and evolving scientific disciplines such as genomics. Taking this discipline as a case, such anticipation is becoming increasingly problematic in today’s knowledge societies in which the dynamics of the natural sciences is unprecedented. This raises the question of how to appropriate in science education the dynamics of natural sciences such as genomics. We approach this question from a contemporary sociocultural perspective on the dynamics of science. From this perspective, the contours of a novelized science education become visible. In contrast, it becomes clear in what respect epicized images of science in current science curricula do not capture the dynamics of science. Finally, drawing on the resulting frames, we discuss the aims of science education as denoted by the concept of scientific literacy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). (1993). Benchmarks for science literacy. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Callon, M. (1991). Techno-economic networks and irreversibility. In J. Law (Ed.), A sociology of monsters: Essays on power, technology and domination (pp. 132–165). London: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Callon, M. (2001). Actor network theory. In N. J. Smelser & P. B. Baltes (Eds.), International encyclopedia of the social and behavioral sciences (pp. 62–66). Oxford: Elsevier Science.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • DeBoer, G. E. (2000). Scientific literacy: Another look at its historical and contemporary meanings and its relationship to science education reform. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37, 582–601.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenhart, M., Finkel, E., & Marion, S. (1996). Creating the conditions for scientific literacy: A re-examination. American Educational Research Journal, 33, 261–295.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gott, R., & Duggan, S. (2007). A framework for practical work in science and scientific literacy through argumentation. Research in Science and Technological Education, 25, 271–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holzkamp, K. (1993). Lernen: Subjektwissenschaftliche Grundlagen [Learning: Subject-scientific foundations]. Frankfurt: Campus-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Latour, B. (1987). Science in action: How to follow scientists and engineers through society. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Latour, B. (1999). Pandora’s hope: Essays on the reality of science studies. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Commission on Excellence in Education (NCEE). (1983). A nation at risk: The imperative for educational reform. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

    Google Scholar 

  • National Research Council (NRC). (1996). National science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, D. A. (2007). Scientific literacy/science literacy. In S. K. Abell & N. G. Lederman (Eds.), Handbook of research on science education (pp. 729–780). Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roth, W.-M. (2003a). Scientific literacy as an emergent feature of human practice. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 35, 9–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roth, W.-M., & Barton, A. C. (2004). Rethinking scientific literacy. New York: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Roth, W.-M., & Lee, S. (2002). Scientific literacy as collective praxis. Public Understanding of Science, 11, 33–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roth, W.-M., Lee, Y. J., & Boyer, L. (2008a). The eternal return: Reproduction and change in complex activity systems—The case of salmon enhancement. Berlin: Lehmanns Media.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roth, W.-M., van Eijck, M., Reis, G., & Hsu, P.-L. (2008b). Authentic science revisited: In praise of diversity, heterogeneity, hybridity. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutherford, F. J., & Ahlgren, A. (1989). Science for all Americans. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sanger, F., Air, G. M., Barrell, B. G., Brown, N. L., Coulson, A. R., Fiddes, C. A., Hutchison, C. A., Slocombe, P. M., & Smith, M. (1977). Nucleotide sequence of bacteriophage phi X174 DNA. Nature, 265, 687–695.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shamos, M. H. (1995). The myth of scientific literacy. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Eijck, M. W., & Roth, W.-M. (2007b). Improving science education for sustainable development. PLoS Biology, 5, 2763–2769.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, C., Bowen, D. J., & Kardia, S. L. (2005). Research and practice opportunities at the intersection of health education, health behavior, and genomics. Health Education Behaviour, 32, 686–701.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

van Eijck, M., Roth, WM. (2013). Science as Dynamic Practice. In: Imagination of Science in Education. Cultural Studies of Science Education, vol 7. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5392-1_4

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics