Demystifying Scientific Literacy: Charting the Path for the 21st Century

Abstract

Scientific literacy is an attribute deemed desirable by many developed and developing nations worldwide. However, there has been much contention regarding its definition and the likelihood of its acquisition. This paper critically evaluates existing literature on the topic of scientific literacy by analyzing conceptions of it over the past thirty years. It further distills the literature and yields a simplified operational definition of scientific literacy. Finally, implications for science teaching based on the basic definition posited namely the use of strategies such as questioning, problem-solving, inquiry and experimentation are explored. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n3p165