Examining socioscientific issues in the media by applying nature of science knowledge and media literacy concepts

Abstract

Critical evaluation of socioscientific issues (SSI) in the media has been recognised as an important goal of scientific literacy due to its crucial role in supporting individuals’ socioscientific decision-making and life-long learning. Although the media provides abundant information on SSI, its reporting has a purpose, which affects individuals’ judgment of SSI. Individuals should understand media literacy (ML) concepts. They should also have knowledge of the nature of science (NOS), because it affects individuals’ selection, evaluation and interpretation of scientific information in SSI, and the ways they respond to SSI. Yet previous studies have reported that students lack NOS knowledge and ML concepts to examine SSI in the media. Some studies have investigated how individuals’ understanding of NOS and ML concepts informs their examinations of science media reports. However, they have tended to discuss the effects of NOS and ML concepts separately. Little is known about how students apply both NOS and ML concepts to examinations of SSI news articles.

This study was situated in a general education university course developed to promote students’ application of NOS and ML concepts to examinations of SSI media reports. It aimed to explore how an integrated NOS and ML curriculum could lead individuals to change their examinations of SSI in the media. Changes in the students’ comprehension, analyses and evaluations of SSI news articles and the factors contributing to such changes were examined. Eleven undergraduates (Year 1 to Year 4) from diverse academic backgrounds (science majors, non-science majors, and journalism majors and minors) participated in the study. They were asked to examine four SSI news articles and complete SSI news evaluation questionnaires before and after NOS and ML instruction. Follow-up interviews were arranged to probe the underlying reasons for the changes in their responses after the instruction.

The students showed significant improvement in their comprehension, analyses and evaluations of SSI news articles after NOS and ML instruction. A model was developed to show six types of integration of NOS and ML concepts with different degrees contributed to the students’ critical examinations of SSI news articles. Nineteen obstacles hindering the students’ examinations of SSI in the media, 11 factors contributing to their improved performances in examinations of SSI news articles and 21 learning stimuli effective in promoting their critical examinations of SSI media reports were revealed.

This study unveils the limitations of the existing curriculum. Moreover, it shows that applying NOS knowledge or ML concepts alone is inadequate to comprehensively examine SSI news reports. To critically evaluate SSI in the media, individuals must have an in-depth understanding of both NOS and ML concepts, so they can jointly apply the concepts and combine them with other knowledge and skills to examine SSI news reports holistically. An integrated instructional approach connecting NOS and ML concepts is an effective pedagogy to promote critical examinations of SSI news reports. The suggestions in this thesis offer concrete guidelines for future curricular development focused on promoting critical examinations of SSI in the media.