Critical reading of reports on scientific findings is particularly important, especially when dealing with socio-scientific topics, including environmental issues. This study aims to highlight the importance of developing scientific and environmental literacy in primary school science education. We follow the definition of scientific literacy as a matrix of knowledge necessary for critically evaluating scientific reports. Scientific literacy is also crucial for developing environmental literacy, as it requires competencies to understand environmental issues and skills for critical decision-making regarding these issues. In the school setting, the use of Adapted Primary Literature (APL) has been established as a method for developing scientific literacy. APL mimics scientific research to help students understand the scientific approach and how science functions. This study provides a detailed insight into the scientific literacy of primary school students in the third educational cylcle in Slovenia. Among teachers, we explored their practices in fostering scientific literacy in science education and implemented APL in science lessons to promote students' scientific literacy. For the quantitative part of the research, one class from each grade of the third educational cylcle was selected from ten schools, and students completed an anonymous questionnaire on scientific literacy. Additionally, 12 teachers were interviewed to gain insight into current practices for developing scientific literacy in primary school science education. An action research study was then conducted with seventh-grade students. Two seventh-grade classes from a suburban primary school in central Slovenia participated in the action research, where they engaged with three APL examples while studying the impact of light pollution on biodiversity. The doctoral dissertation examined the impact of using adapted primary scientific literature (APL) on the development of scientific literacy in science classes. The findings showed that APL improves understanding of scientific texts and the research process. However, despite acquiring new knowledge there were no changes in the environmental attitudes of the participating students. The students are open to new forms of learning, but they expressed concerns about the usefulness of scientific articles in assessing knowledge. The students expressed a positive attitude towards research work, although the research showed that primary school students in the third educational period still have a poor understanding of the work of scientists. We found that the students are aware of the importance of science and technology for society, but do not want to become scientists or engineers. The participating teachers in the study recognized the value of APL, but highlighted the need for greater support in preparing materials for the learning process.
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