7 - STEM and the Democratic Aims of Science Education

Summary

Abstract: The integrity of the scientific process depends on preserving the institutional framework that is critical for maintaining and reproducing the methods and attitudes required for systematic inquiry. A major aim of science education for custodians of democracy should be the development of the habits and skills required to protect the institutional production, application, and dissemination of reliable knowledge. Custodians need to understand how science is informed by values at virtually every stage, from the problem selected for study to the way a problem is defined and supported, to the methods chosen to test a scientific claim, to the logic that moves the argument from premise to conclusion, and from conclusion to recommendations for policy and action. This requirement is important for citizens in general and for citizens who work in scientific fields in particular.