SCIENCE TEACHERS SOCIAL CONSCIENCE AND THE ROLE OF CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES IN THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE

The increasing number and variety of controversial scientific and tech nological issues with which citizens are confronted has led, in recent years, to calls for a schooling of science which prepares future citi zens for participation in resolving such issues. We examined the socia l conscience of science teachers as it bears on the teaching of contro versial issues. The study was conducted by interviewing teachers in tw o widely different English-speaking locations, Scotland and the United States. The research explores the perceptions of teachers with regard to the teaching of controversial issues, the problem of handling pers onal value positions when dealing with issues, and the tension that ex ists between the teaching of controversial issues and traditional valu e-free science curricula.