IBSE Final

Chapter 5 Science Teaching and assessing Students’ Scientific literacy

tHE tEACHING OF SCIENCE: 21 st-CENTURY PERSPECTIVES 109

More than one-third of U.S. students (39%) are aware of the use of genetically

modified organisms. This is higher than the OECD average, which was 35%.

Data from this survey also suggest that students’ levels of awareness of

environmental issues are strongly associated with their scientific knowledge.

However, the United States was one country with a lower mean score in science

(489) and students who are more aware of environmental issues. This linkage

was true for all participating countries. Conversely, relatively lower scores

on scientific knowledge may result in environmental issues being unnoticed,

ignored, or dismissed by some citizens.

All students from more advantaged socioeconomic backgrounds reported

higher levels of socioeconomic awareness of environmental issues. The United

States and 24 of 30 other OECD countries also had a significant gender differ-

ence in students’ awareness of environmental issues with boys scoring higher

than girls.

U.S. Students’ Levels of Concern About Environmental Issues

It is one thing to be aware and another to be concerned about environmental

issues. PISA 2006 explored the latter by asking students to report whether or

not selected issues were a serious concern to them and other people in their

country. Students are, in general, concerned about global issues. As you can see

in Table 5.6 (p. 110), the percentages are highest for air pollution (91% in the

United States and 92% on average for OECD) and lowest for water shortage

(81% in the United States and 76% for OECD).

Table 5.5 Students’ Awareness of Selected Environmental Issues

Environmental Issue

Percentage of OECD Students Who Are Familiar With or Know Something About this Environmental Issue

Percentage of U.S. Students Who Are Familiar With or Know Something About this Environmental Issue The consequences of clearing forests for other land use Acid rain The increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere Nuclear waste Use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs)

73

60

58

53

35

73

54

53

51

39