Our society is in the midst of a period of major transformation. Environmental pollution, energy crisis, food shortage, overpopulation, disease, the running out of natural resources and accidents are all indicators that yesterday's successes are today...
Our society is in the midst of a period of major transformation. Environmental pollution, energy crisis, food shortage, overpopulation, disease, the running out of natural resources and accidents are all indicators that yesterday's successes are today's problems.
This article focuses on student cognitives and attitudes toward social problems, the amelioration of these problems and their perceptions of science and technology in our society.
A questionnaire that included 24 statements and responses were obtained from 860 secondary school students. The student responses are reported as percentages of young people who responded positively or negatively to a given questions or set of question.
Personal attitudes on the social problems, the nature of science and an organ transplantation showed several inconsistencies. Such contradictions may indicate that the students have had little or no opportunity to learn about it. Our curricula have clearly omitted most of the problems which are now, and will be in future, essential to our survival, welfare, and continued development. In the crucial period of transformation we can no longer avoid value in science teaching, thus neglecting the human qualities of choice, decision, and responsibility.