ABSTRACT
Science enjoys a prominent place in the school curricula of most countries in the world, and arguments as to why societies might want their young people to study science have been widely articulated by policy makers. In both the USA and the UK, a case has been made for the place of science in the school curriculum in terms of promoting economic well-being by training the scientists of the future (e.g., Royal Society, 1985; AAAS, 1989; White Paper, 1993). A further rationale is presented which involves promoting ‘scientific literacy’ or ‘the public understanding of science’ through school science education for all future citizens: it is intended that individuals will be better equipped to interpret issues with a science dimension as encountered in their personal and professional lives, and thus judgments about the activities of scientists will be made from a more informed viewpoint.
