ABSTRACT
Biotechnology is the key technology of the twenty-first century. As an important aspect of scientific literacy, biotechnology education aims at enabling high school students, as future citizens, to participate in public debate about the risks and benefits of modern biotechnology as well as the ethical issues involved. This chapter focuses on teaching biotechnology in the context of socio-scientific issues. This involves fostering the students’ understanding of what biotechnology is and what techniques and processes are used, what values are involved and what benefits and risks are associated with specific biotechnological techniques and applications and what multiple (often competing) political, social, legal, economic and ethical claims are made for and against biotechnology.
