Critical Thinking and Public Understanding of Science

Time: 12:30 PM-2:00 PM

Location: Disque Hall 109, 32nd and Chestnut Street, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA

In light of recent scientific controversies, such as the debates surroundings climate change, GMOs, vaccines, and fracking, the scientific community has called for an increased public understanding of the relevant scientific issues. In the first part of her talk, Jacquart utilizes a distinction from the education literature between Teacher-Centered versus Learner-Centered styles of teaching in order to argue for a change in framing of the public scientific literacy issue. Then, she examines what philosophy can offer to the discussion, arguing that in the science education curriculum, there is a need to incorporate: 1) a larger emphasis on critical thinking skills found in philosophy classrooms, and 2) components of history and philosophy of science. Jacquart suggests that when one understands and can think critically about what scientists do, how they come to conclusions, and how they create and support their arguments, it allows the individual citizen to have a sense of self-ownership of science and scientific practice, particularly to those who may consider themselves to be “non-scientists”.

Melissa Jacquart, MA, is currently a PhD candidate in the Philosophy Department and Rotman Institute of Philosophy at the Western University, Canada. Her primary research is in history and philosophy of science, with a focus on cosmology and physics. She also works on ethics & values in science, feminist philosophy, and philosophy of education. She received her B.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, majoring in Physics, Astronomy, and Philosophy. She has also worked at the National Science Foundation from 2009-2011 for the Science, Technology, and Society program, the Ethics Education in Science and Engineering program, and the Methodology, Measurement, and Statistics program. For more information on Melissa Jacquart, see melissajacquart.com.