Two longstanding challenges in postsecondary science education are to improve general science literacy and to encourage all students, particularly those from underrepresented groups, to continue work in the sciences. This project addresses these challenges by producing short historical and contemporary stories about the development of fundamental science ideas using the words of scientists, with embedded comments and questions that explicitly draw students' attention to characteristics of science and scientists that challenge prevalent misconceptions regarding the nature of science. The stories are being developed and revised through a series of formative evaluations that will assess: how well the stories draw readers' attention to accurate notions regarding the nature of science; their understanding of key ideas concerning the nature of science; and changes in attitudes of students towards science and science education, particularly those from underrepresented groups. These data inform modifications to the short stories, and provide evidence for the effectiveness of the stories in changing students' mistaken ideas about the nature of science. By the end of the project, the project team will have produced thirty well-tested and polished stories that will be available for widespread use in post-secondary introductory science courses across the nation.
Clear evidence shows that very bright students, including those from underrepresented groups, opt out of postsecondary science education because they wrongly see science as a field devoid of social interaction and creativity. The hypothesis of this project is that science literacy, and interest in pursuing additional science education, will follow from a more accurate understanding of the nature of science and the processes of doing science. This project is developing and distributing short stories that accurately and effectively convey the nature of science in post-secondary introductory science courses. In doing so, it will enable science students to have a more accurate understanding of the nature of science, and it will encourage more positive attitudes toward science, scientists, science education, and science careers.
