ABSTRACT
Much school science is about acquiring knowledge and skills. Concerned as it is with facts and principles, it has failed to engage many pupils and has had little meaning for the lives of the majority outside school (Henderson and Knutton, 1990; Claxton, 1991). It has failed to help pupils to develop an independence of mind and has not prepared them for the society in which they live. Many pupils will encounter science through the media in the form of the issues it raises, but they will also encounter it directly in the way it shapes their social and economic lives. They must acquire the skills to recognise science in its applications to economic, sociological and political issues. When they leave school they will be faced with opposing views. It is necessary for them to learn to explore their own views and those of others in order to develop an independent way of thinking. As a result of finding out more about themselves they will become more self-confident. They will acquire an understanding of bias and partiality of evidence and be willing to consider and be sensitive to the opinions of others.
