SCIENTIFIC TEMPER & SCIENTIFIC LITERACY.pptx

Scientific temper is an attitude of logical thinking. Scientific literacy is the firm understanding of the nature of science.

1. SCIENTIFIC TEMPER & SCIENTIFIC LITERACY BY RINCY ROy

2. SCIENTIFIC TEMPER Scientific temper is an attitude of logical thinking. If a person uses the scientific method in his/her daily life decision making process knowingly or unknowingly then we can say that he/she has scientific temper. I mportant in our life because this kind of attitude enable general public for making their decisions rational. D evelopment of scientific temper among the citizens is essential for the overall development of the nation . I t is necessary to develop scientific temper among all the people irrespective of their age, caste, creed, religion etc. 2

3. There are 2 possibilities for achieving the target of scientific temper. 1) to make special efforts for developing scientific temper by organising different kinds of programmes. 2) to make it an integral part of the school curriculum. All the commissions and committees including National Curriculum Framework have focused on this aspect. 3

4. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND First introduced in India by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru in his book Discovery of India (1946), wherein he said: “the scientific approach and temper are, or should be, a way of life, a process of thinking, a method of acting and associating with our fellowmen”. He further added that it is a temper of a free man which means it is not only which should be manifested by the professional scientists or experts but in the normal people as well . According to Article 51(a) of the Indian Constitution, it is the fundamental duty of the citizens of India to develop scientific temper and having the spirit of inquiry. The lack of scientific temper weakens our ability take rational decisions. This may be the reason why the concept of scientific temper was built in our constitution. Kalbag (1991) says that the scientific temper or scientific approach is a refinement of the process of thinking that comes naturally to every human being . 4

5. Limitations of the existing educational system in developing scientific temper The traditional chalk and talk method of teaching science which hardly creates any interest among the students towards science. Minimum use of learning science by doing . Hardly any special effort is taken to raise the curiosity of the students, even if any student dares to ask questions beyond the scope of class, he/she is not encourages. Lack of trained teachers and science communicators in the schools . Normally the science teachers aim at completing the syllabus instead of inculcating the basic scientific skills including the scientific attitude among the students. 5

6. Lack of interactions between science communicators and teachers/students Trained science communicators contribute science, technology and society in the development of scientific temper in the society and their absence augments the hindrance in developing an informed society. Science laboratories are not equally equipped and are not used for experimentation and discovery. Existing examination and evaluation system . The examination system does not allow to think out of the box, which is the basic requirement of developing scientific attitude. In fact, students are taught to answer the questions, rather than questioning the answers. Unless we develop an ability to raise questions, it may not be possible to achieve the objective of developing scientific attitude among the people. 6

7. WAYS TO DEVELOP SCIENTIFIC TEMPER SCIENTIFIC TEMPER Encourage Students Scientific Curiosity Offer Opportunities to Practice Supporting the Students with their Experiments Improve Critical Thinking Capabilities Incorporating real-world problems into lessons Make Learning Fun 7

8. GOVERNMENT SCHEMES FOR DEVELOPING SCIENTIFIC TEMPER Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration And Knowledge ( MANAK) - Launched to encourage scientific innovation among school children of class VI to X. Knowledge And Awareness Mapping Platform (KAMP) - An initiative to assess and encourage scientific temper in students in the age group of 10 to 18 years. KAMP will also facilitate the participation of students in the India International Science Festival (IISF). Scheme For Young Scientists And Technologists (SYST) - To encourage young scientists to come up with science-based solutions to existing/futuristic problems. 8

9. SCIENTIFIC LITERACY F irm understanding of the nature of science and the inter relationship between science, technology and society. D esired outcome of education. Scientific literacy can be thought of as a blend of these three knowledge dimensions: 1) Nature of science 2) Interaction of science and society 3) Enduring and important scientific terms and concepts . A literate citizen should be able to evaluate the quality of scientific information on the basis of its source and the methods used to generate it. 9

10. Implications of scientific literacy A good science background – knowledge of facts, concepts and theories and the ability to apply them. A clear understanding of the nature of science. A positive attitude to science and technology. An appreciation of the value of science and technology and their effect on society. The ability to make value judgement and decision in science based societal issues. The ability to use scientific method to solve problems and to make decisions in our day to day life. 10

11. QUALITIES OF AN INDIVIDUAL WITH SCIENTIFIC LITERACY ● Pose questions from daily life experiences and find out solutions. ● Check the validity of the solution. ● Explain the natural phenomena around him. ● Read and comprehend the science articles in the periodicals ● Analyse the validity and significance of the policies and plans in the fields of science and technology and respond constructively. ● Judge the various view points on scientific issues and draw inferences based on proof ● Make use of scientific concepts and processes in daily life and use suitable scientific terms for effective communication An individual having scientific literacy can 11

12. ROLE OF SCIENCE TEACHER IN PROMOTING SCIENTIFIC LITERACY 1. Have mastery over her subjects. 2. Be up-to-date with latest technological advances. 3.Have a good understanding of the nature of sciences.  4. Be willing to provide suitable situations encouraging students to develop scientific inquiry skills. 5.Provide them with learning experiences which help them to develop a positive attitude towards sciences. 6.Help develop value judgements regarding science-based issues in our daily life. 7. Develop in her students the ability to study the interaction of science, technology and society. A science teacher is a most important means of promoting scientific literacy . An effective teacher should possess the following characteristics: 12

13. conclusion Cultivating scientific temper and scientific literacy is essential not just for success in science education but for the development of informed and rational citizens . By promoting critical thinking, skepticism , open-mindedness, and evidence-based reasoning , educators can help students develop the skills necessary to navigate the complexities of the modern world. As we continue to face global challenges, the need for individuals with a scientific temper has never been more urgent. By cultivating these attributes in students today, we are preparing them to become the critical thinkers, innovators, and leaders of tomorrow. 13

14. REFERENCES Mariamma Mathew(2014) : Teaching Science For Biological And Physical Sciences: NAS Publishers, Kerala Dr. T.K. Mathew And Dr. T.M. Mollykutty : Science Education : Theoretical Bases of Teaching and Pedagogic Analysis; Physical Science And Natural Science , Third Edition 14

15. THANK YOU 15