SCIENTISTS’ PERCEPTIONS ON THE NATURE OF NANOSCIENCE AND ITS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION
Journal Title: Problems of Education in the 21st Century - Year 2018, Vol 76, Issue 1
Abstract
Some level of understanding of and about nanoscience and nanotechnology (NST) has been suggested as being relevant in up-to-date scientifc literacy for all. Research scientists working in these felds are central in current efforts to inform and engage the public in NST. Earlier research has shown that scientists can contribute to authentic science learning, but communication always entails roles that affect the choice of content. This study investigated NST researchers’ views on the nature of their research and their preferences in NST communication. Eight experienced professors working in various felds of NST were interviewed. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews focused on the scientists’ views on 1) the nature of their research, and 2) aspects of NST that should be communicated to the public. Qualitative content analysis of the interviews revealed that the themes the interviewees highlighted when describing their research (interdisciplinarity, size scale, methods, objects, nature of NST in general) were somewhat different from the ones they considered as important for communication to the public (applications and products, risks and benefts, visualizations). The results problematize the simplistic notion that exposure to real scientists would unquestionably enhance the authenticity of science learning. This study gives insight for research and development of science communication, especially scientists’ role and training in it.
Authors and Affiliations
Laherto, A, Tirre, F, Parchmann, I, Kampschulte, L, Schwarzer, S
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP35514
- DOI -
- Views 368
- Downloads 0
bEnChmArKInG EDUCATIOnAl QUAlITy In AfrICAn UnIVErsITIEs: ThE CAsE Of ThE DEpArTmEnT Of mAThEmATICs AnD sCIEnCE EDUCATIOn, UnIVErsITy Of bOTsWAnA
A common mode of benchmarking educational quality in the world of academia is through the system of peer review. This system of benchmarking educational quality in many an African university adopts the use of external...
AN INVESTIGATION TO THE EFFICACY OF FREE PRIMARY EDUCATION IN WITHDRAWING AND MAINTAINING CHILDREN FROM CHILD LABOUR IN KIAMBU DISTRICT, KENYA
It is estimated that about 250 million children aged between 5-14 years were working world wide by the year 2006, at least 120 million were working full time and close to 80 million in hazardous work. These are childre...
E-LEARNING IN TERTIARY EDUCATION FROM STUDENTS`POINT OF VIEW
E-learning has become an integral part of the present day tertiary education, not only within the framework of combined, but, to an increasingly larger extent, also of full-time study modes. However, its deployment on...
A CASE STUDY OF "HABITUS" AND "FIELD": THE CHINESE RURAL STUDENTS ON THE UNIVERSITY CAMPUS
This research focuses its inquiry on the economic aspect of rural university students' life in China, but the discussion goes beyond the economic field. Massification in the Chinese higher education system has increased...
THE IMPORTANCE OF CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS IN HIGHER EDUCATION
The international cooperation of researchers around the world is a pre-requisite for the development of science. English, the lingua franca of the 21st century, is a widely accepted tool for global communication of thos...