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Session Submission Summary

Public Understanding of Science: The Educational Challenges of Scientific “Uncertainty”

Sun, April 15, 10:35am to 12:05pm, Sheraton Wall Centre, Floor: Grand Ballroom Level, North Grand Ballroom A

Session Submission Type: Symposium

Abstract

The public understanding of science is critically important in a democratic society, yet many individuals fail to understand the basic tenets of science. In the U.S. a large percentage of individuals fail to accept such scientifically accepted issues as evolutionary theory and climate change. One key problem appears to be how the tentativeness of science is interpreted, leading individuals to dismiss claims that are well supported by evidence and to doubt scientific knowledge. In this symposium, five research teams from the U.S. and Germany present empirical studies that address lay misunderstandings about scientific uncertainty. Drawing on their diverse backgrounds in cognitive, educational, and developmental psychology, these researchers describe recent findings and propose implications for learning and teaching about science.

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