The development of scientific literacy was and is the goal of science education. By eliminating illiteracy, we develop the personality of the individual as we face everyday
challenges. It is our way of thinking that helps us to overcome them. When we speak of developing scientific literacy, we have in mind the knowledge and skills that enable individuals to approach scientific questions and ideas as thinking individuals. The educator and teacher has an important role in this process. Through carefully planned lessons, students become scientifically literate individuals. This means that they will be able to
engage in meaningful discussions about science and technology, which requires certain competencies. Students are expected to understand the basic aspects of scientific research. Teachers are expected to engage students in lessons that make sense of scientific inquiry in order to achieve an understanding of science content that contributes to students' ongoing independence. The study, based on a quantitative research approach, involved 140 students
from six lower secondary schools. The students solved a test, which was used to check their understanding of science research, and filled out a questionnaire of individual interest and self-image, which was used to determine the level of interest in learning science contents. Students were found to have naive and mixed views about their understanding and knowledge of aspects of scientific research. The results show that most students know how research works but have difficulty justifying the answers to the questions asked. Analysing the problem, we found that difficulties occur when the knowledge acquired by the students is applied to a concrete life example. The reason for this could be memorization rather than comprehension and a lack of experimental work in class. In lower secondary school, students usually only learn the steps required for a research, which they then try to plan and carry out themselves in the presence of a teacher. It turns out that the aspect of scientific research that is best understood by students is the development of a final interpretation of the research, which is a combination of the data collected and the evidence already known. The analysis of students' attitudes towards science showed that they are interested in the subject, enjoy participating in class, do not find the subject content too challenging, which is reflected in good grades, and also show interest in experimentation. The results showed that they lack attention and motivation to further engage in science outside the classroom.
|
