School science, citizenship and the public understanding of science

Quantitative and qualitative studies of the public understanding of science have been conducted in many countries. They provide important insights int o the extent to which lay citizens understand a number of important scienti fic concepts, and into the ways in which they seek and use scientific knowl edge. This paper draws upon the outcomes of these studies to identify some of the dimensions of 'citizen science', and to examine their implications f or the form and content of school science education.