The use of NOS understandings in the evaluation of Science News by Nonscience Majors

Abstract

Critical evaluation of reports about science news has been a desired outcome from a scientifically literate populace. Without science background as sophisticated as scientists’, evaluation of science news proves a challenge to the public. It is generally assumed that understandings of nature of science (NOS) will lead to this desired outcome of scientific literacy. This paper aimed at examining the criteria applied and the capacity in which they were applied by nonscience majors in evaluating science news. Sixty-four nonscience majors from a local community college completed the Health News Evaluation Questionnaire. Participants focused more on the cognitive aspects of science than the social or epistemological aspect in the evaluation, and news of socioscientific nature elicited more responses pertaining to the social aspect of science than reports of scientific research. These indicated the capacity of nonscience majors in drawing upon the cognitive aspects of science despite their limited science background. This study demonstrated the use of NOS aspects and the degree and capacity to which they were applied in the evaluation of science in the media by nonscience majors, and laid the foundation for future studies to further explore the assumed role of NOS in critical evaluation of science news.