Understanding Nature of Science makes society less vulnerable to misinformation – interview with Dr Cliona Murphy
Associate Professor in Science Education at Dublin City University’s School of STEM Education, Innovation and Global Studies and Chair of the Working Group Science Education of ALLEA, Dr Cliona Murphy gave us her thoughts on Nature of Science (NoS) and ethics in education in the lead-up to the WSF’s Education for Sustainable Development thematic session.
WSF: ALLEA’s Working Group Science Education recently published a statement on Early Learning Opportunities for Shaping a Scientifically Literate Society. What prompted the working group to highlight the importance of including NoS and ethics in early science education through this statement?
Dr Cliona Murphy: Now, more than ever, with the myriad of challenges facing the world today, it is essential that citizens have a good understanding of science, its methodologies and the application of science to solve and make sense of real-word everyday problems. This understanding of science is essential for citizens to address and understand scientific issues and make informed decisions.
Scientific discovery and progress frequently raise ethical questions, and, nowadays, with advancements in artificial intelligence and genome editing, for example, there is an even greater need to support young people in developing the ability to recognise and understand these challenges.
While science is included in most primary and secondary curricula worldwide, in many cases these curricula do not include learning outcomes that explicitly focus on how scientists work, or the ethical dimensions of scientific inquiry. Often content related to understanding NoS is more typical at third-level, and as high percentages of students globally do not pursue science at this level, many young people will not learn about NoS nor will they likely be afforded opportunities to reflect on and discuss research ethics in science, which means they won’t learn about the importance of ethical practices like reliability and honesty in scientific research. We wrote this statement to advocate for including NoS and ethics in science education as we believe that these additions to curricula would lay the foundations for equipping our youngest citizens with the knowledge, skills and values to empower them to become active global citizens.
WSF: Could you explain a bit more the concept of the "Nature of Science” and elaborate on its relevance for those outside STEM fields?
Dr Murphy: The term Nature of Science relates to science as a way of knowing or the values and beliefs that are essential to the development of scientific knowledge. NoS is really understanding what science is and how it works. For example, when students learn about NoS in school, they learn about science as a process rather than solely as a collection of facts. For example, they learn about uncertainty in science – that science knowledge is tentative and subject to change. They learn that although science is grounded in evidence, scientists also use their creativity when developing hypotheses, devising experiments, interpreting evidence and developing theories. They learn how science is influenced by cultural, economic and political factors. When students learn about NoS, they also learn about the importance of integrity, honesty and transparency in scientists’ work.
This understanding is valuable for everyone, not just for those who work or study in STEM-related fields. For our youngest citizens, this knowledge helps bridge the gap between school science and the application of science in the “real world”. A good understanding of NoS can help citizens understand some of the complexities scientists and policymakers face when confronted with emerging socio-scientific issues. In today’s digital age, where social media enables the widespread sharing of unverified information, understanding NoS is more important than ever as it provides knowledge that can support people in critically evaluating information, recognising credible sources and identifying how science can be misrepresented. This makes society less vulnerable to misinformation.
WSF: What do think are the main benefits of incorporating research ethics into primary and secondary science education?
Dr Murphy: I think there are numerous benefits. First, as highlighted in the Working Group statement, introducing young people to values and ethics at the primary and secondary school levels helps to develop their moral character. It can empower our youngest citizens to make ethical decisions by giving them a way to understand the ethical aspects of different situations, helping them to act responsibly, with compassion, and ethically throughout their lives. Research ethics can help them be better at evaluating the ethical implications of scientific research and can help develop their critical thinking skills.
Including research ethics in science curricula can also help develop core values like integrity, honesty, transparency and responsibility in students when they are carrying out scientific inquiries and research. This in turn can help students trust scientific research, which is important for society in accepting scientific findings. Furthermore, learning about research ethics can also promote global citizenship as it encourages students to consider ethical issues across different cultural and geographical boundaries. All of this can contribute to the development of well-rounded and ethically-minded scientists and citizens.
WSF: Do you see any challenges in expanding curricula to include NoS and research ethics and, if so, are there ways of overcoming these challenges?
Dr Murphy: Yes, I would say there are challenges – and I think some of these challenges would be in relation to already overloaded curricula; teachers having insufficient conceptual understanding and pedagogical knowledge of NoS and research ethics to support the learning of students in these areas.
Teaching about NoS and research ethics will be new territory for many teachers and will require slightly different skillsets and methodologies than teachers are currently familiar with. For example, instead of carrying out experiments to get the “right answer”, teachers will have to support students in understanding that when they are discussing ethical issues they don’t always have to come up with a conclusion or “the right answer”. Instead, teachers will have to give students a chance to reflect on their values and provide evidence-based arguments to back up their viewpoints.
To support teachers in implementing these methodologies effectively, initial teacher education (ITE) and continuous professional learning (CPL) programmes will need to be developed and rolled out to ensure that teachers feel confident and competent in supporting students’ learning about NoS and research ethics. Other initiatives, such as providing teachers with opportunities to participate in national and European conferences or networking events (like the WSF) would also be useful in helping teachers keep up-to-date on developments in science and research ethics.
Finally, if NoS and research ethics are to be effectively integrated and taught as part of science curricula, national and European education policies that firmly embed these pedagogies within education policy frameworks need to be developed and rolled out.
Cover image source: Youtube/ESB Science Blast