PURE AND APPLIED, MORAL AND PRAGMATIC: THE PROPER WAY TO IMPROVE SCIENCE EDUCATION

TitlePURE AND APPLIED, MORAL AND PRAGMATIC: THE PROPER WAY TO IMPROVE SCIENCE EDUCATION
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2013
AuthorsLakhvich, T
JournalJournal of Baltic Science Education
Volume12
Issue5
Start Page544-547
PaginationContinuous
Date PublishedOctober/2013
Type of ArticleEditorial
ISSN1648-3898
Other NumbersICID: 1075973
Keywordskey technologies, moral aspect, moral component, public opinion
Abstract

In recent years many researchers (ROSE Project in particular) have stated the Science has become one of unpopular areas of knowledge. Most students and graduates are not going to link their fates with the Science and Technology. As the result, we are facing the decline of University Science and Technology Education, as only few talented students choose Science as their priority area of their interest and even less of them decide to teach the Science in school and University.
In view of the fact that the image of Science emerged at the intersection of interests and perceptions of the general public and scientists, it is important to understand the role of academia in shaping their own public image.
What kind of self-image do we (scientists and educators) promote?
Which kind of audience do we reach out?
How do we interact with this audience?
To explore the lessons from the history, we could find those, which are particularly obvious. Rather than contemplating the identity of Science in order to derive and support an adequate image, scientists (both researchers, policy makers and, finally, – what strange enough – educators) have preferred to hide themselves behind the industry and technology. Instead of explaining what Science is, we usually have pointed to technological progress. And when audience being questioning more critical, we propose the cliché variant of reflection with exaggerated promises of technological progress, even if nobody would listen. The tendency has become a matter of routine and widely accepted. Butt obviously the cliché approach, which is out of the interests of majority of population, leads to fiasco.

URLhttp://oaji.net/articles/2015/987-1425810097.pdf
DOI10.33225/jbse/13.12.544
Refereed DesignationRefereed
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