Scientific literacy means understanding scientific concepts and being able to make informed decisions. There is no global definition, but it involves using scientific information, identifying questions, and drawing conclusions. It is important for job seekers and regulating advances in technology. Many people are still scientifically illiterate despite education and media.
Literacy is an educational term which technically means being able to read and write. Literacy is also used to refer to a person’s ability to understand a concept. The term scientific literacy does not mean that someone can read and write about science, but in general that they can understand scientific concepts and progress to a level where they can make informed decisions about a scientific question. There is no standard global definition of scientific literacy.
Scientific literacy requires some understanding of scientific knowledge. A definition from the Program for International Student Assessment defines scientific literacy as the ability to use scientific information, identify scientific questions, and draw conclusions from scientific evidence. Public understanding of science is a term used in some countries, such as the UK, instead of science literacy. You don’t need to learn a lot about scientific matters to be literate in science, but you do need to know how to learn this information if your circumstances require it.
Children are taught science in school, and the entire population receives scientific information from the media. The provision of information in the form of museums and public lectures is also used to increase scientific literacy. Despite scientific information being disseminated in this way, many people in many countries are still scientifically illiterate. Examples of scientific illiteracy include not knowing that the sun is a star, thinking dinosaurs and humans coexisted, and being under the impression that electrons are larger than atoms.
In general, scientific literacy means having the tools necessary to understand a wide range of scientific concepts. These tools are the specific ways of thinking a scientist uses, such as skepticism and using sources that have been tested for accuracy. Understanding that science is not a separate entity from normal life is another aspect of scientific literacy, as the person can apply scientific thinking to all areas of his or her life.
As the world becomes more technologically advanced, scientific literacy can be a useful tool for job seekers who have to adjust to technically complex jobs. Advances in fields such as genetic engineering can be regulated by governments according to the will of the people, and if people are not scientifically literate, progress can be hampered. Conversely, an illiterate population may not identify questionable scientific issues in a timely manner. Understanding scientific concepts like risk can also help the public accurately interpret media reports about the danger from issues like vaccination.
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