Revised: Dec. 2007

Provided by the NASA Headquarters Library

Scientific literacy is a familiarity with the concepts and processes of science. Since the Industrial Revolution, scientific literacy has been as much a goal of a well rounded education as a familiarity with the events and currents of American history. Recently, several questions have arisen about scientific literacy:

Which of these concepts and processes should be taught in American schools?

 

How scientifically literate are Americans, compared to people from other nations?

 

How many American students go into scientifically oriented jobs, and are there enough of them to fill the places that will be left when Baby Boomers retire?

This bibliography covers the state of American scientific literacy. The Headquarters Library also has bibliographies on methods of teaching science, science fair projects, childrens' space resources, and ways to encourage minorities and women to seek careers in science and technology, which will also have useful resources in this field. For materials on how the current and projected state of American scientific literacy affects NASA's capabilities, see Human Capital Management in the Technical Fields.

All items are available at the Headquarters Library, except as noted. NASA Headquarters employees and contractors: call (358-0172) or email Library@hq.nasa.gov for information on borrowing or in-library use of any of these items. Members of the public, contact your Local Library for the availibilty of these items. NASA Headquarters employees can request additional materials or research on this topic. The Library welcomes your comments or suggestions about this webpage.

Books

Flaste, Richard. The New York Times Book of Science Literacy: What Everyone Needs to Know from Newton to the Knuckleball. New York, NY: HarperPerennial, 1992.

Q162 .N438 1992 BOOKSTACKS

 

Hazen, Robert M., and James Trefil Science Matters: Achieving Scientific Literacy. New York, NY: Doubleday, 1991.

Q162 .H36 1991 BOOKSTACKS

 

International Technology Education Association. Advancing Excellence in Technological Literacy: Student Assessment, Professional Development, and Program Standards. Reston, VA: International Technology Education Association, 2003.

T65.3 .A48 2003 BOOKSTACKS

 

Pollack, Henry N. Uncertain Science...Uncertain World. Cambridge, UK; New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 2003.

Q175 .P65 2003 BOOKSTACKS

 

Sagan, Carl. The Demon-haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. New York, NY: Random House, 1995.

Q175 .S25 1995 BOOKSTACKS

 

Shamos, Morris H. The Myth of Scientific Literacy. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1995.

Q183.3.A1 S46 1995 BOOKSTACKS

 

United States. Office of Educational Technology. Getting America's Students Ready for the Twenty-first Century: Meeting the Technology Literacy Challenge: A Report to the Nation on Technology and Education. Washington, DC: The Dept., 1996.

LB1028.43 .G48 1996 BOOKSTACKS

 

Wynn, Charles M., and Arthur W. Wiggins. Quantum Leaps in the Wrong Direction: Where Real Science Ends...and Pseudoscience Begins. Washington, DC: Joseph Henry Press, 2001.

Q172.5 .P77 W96 2001 BOOKSTACKS

Articles and Reports

Bybee, Rodger W. "Science Teaching and International Assessments", The Science Teacher vol. LXXIV, no. 8 (November 2007) p. 41-48.

Available through Wilson Select Plus

 

Holt, Rush. "Science and Citizenship", Social Research, vol. LXXIII, no. 3 (Fall 2006), p. 1037-1041.

Available through Wilson Select Plus

 

Perkins-Gough, Deborah. "Understanding the Scientific Enterprise: A Conversation with Alan Leshner", Educational Leadership, vol. LXIV, no. 4 (Dec. 2006/Jan. 2007), p. 8-15.

Available through Wilson Select Plus

 

Internet Resources

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. 26 Oct. 2007 [17 Dec. 2007]

http://www.sloan.org/main.shtml

 

American Association for the Advancement of Science. Project 2061. 14 Dec. 2007 [17 Dec. 2007]

http://www.project2061.org/

 

The Foundation for Scientific Literacy. 2006 [17 Dec. 2007]

http://www.scientificliteracy.org/index.htm

 

International Center for the Advancement of Scientific Literacy. 2007 [19 Dec. 2007]

http://icasl.msu.edu/

 

International Technology Education Association. Technology for All Americans Project. 12 Nov. 2007 [17 Dec. 2007]

http://www.iteaconnect.org/TAA/TAA.html

 

National Academy of Engineering. Technically Speaking. 2007 [17 Dec. 2007]

http://www.nae.edu/nae/techlithome.nsf

 

National Bureau of Economic Research. Science and Engineering Workforce Project. 6 Nov. 2007 [17 Dec. 2007]

http://www.nber.org/~sewp/index.html

 

National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Statistics. Science and Engineering Statistics. 20 Nov. 2007 [17 Dec. 2007]

http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/

 

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Programme for International Student Assessment. 4 Dec. 2007 [17 Dec. 2007]

http://www.pisa.oecd.org/pages/0,2987,en_32252351_32235731_1_1_1_1_1,00.html

Note: This program compares the state of scientific literacy among high school students all over the world.

 

Western Michigan University. Scientific Literacy and Cultural Studies Project. 13 Sept. 2007 [17 Dec. 2007]

http://www.wmich.edu/slcsp/index.htm