Scientific Literacy, Discourse, and Epistemic Practices

Proponents of scientific literacy often tie the goals of science education to broad societal ideals (e.g., AAAS, 1993). These ideals extend beyond reading and writing scientific texts and beyond understandings of scientific concepts and procedures, and often concern knowledge required for effective citizenship. Rationales for scientific literacy include the economic well being of a nation, the perceived need for technological knowledge among citizens, and the value of scientific and technological knowledge for supporting social justice and taking actions in society (DeBoer, 2000; Hodson, 2003; Roberts, 2007). Often lost in the discussion of what (or whose) knowledge is of most worth for citizenship is the central role communication plays in the construction and assessment of knowledge. A focus on scientific literacy can bring to the foreground the importance of language in knowledge production, in both scientific and education communities. Discourse contributes in multiple ways to the production of scientific knowledge, from the banter in the process of discovery (Garfinkel, Lynch, & Livingston, 1981) to the development of specific genres for persuasion (Bazerman, 1988). Similarly, in education discourse processes are central to the everyday activity of knowledge construction. Discourse is central to the ways communities develop community norms and expectations, define common knowledge for the group, build affiliation, frame knowledge made available, and provide access to disciplinary knowledge, and invite or limit participation (Cazden, 2001; Gee & Green, 1998; Kelly & Green, 1998). Thus, the learning of individuals is situated in the cultural practices and norms of a relevant community, a community that changes over time as members take action to change the social knowledge, norms, and practices. A central mediating feature of these communities is language. Knowledge is constructed and reconstructed as members of a community bring together their respective experiences, local knowledge, and ways of being (Wells, 2000). While discourse practices vary in purpose across professional and educational settings, uses of language are central to both the creation and communication of knowledge in each setting. Thus, the ties of language to knowledge construction merit a closer look at literacy and epistemology. In this chapter, I consider views of scientific literacy and how the use of language is related to learning and knowing. I begin by drawing from work in thefield of literacy research, before turning to science studies and science education. Through the use of philosophy of science and various empirical studies of scientific practices across settings, I propose that the goals of science education include developing epistemic practices among learners. I then shift to discuss how, when conceiving of language and knowledge as ideological, we need to consider how knowledge is legitimated through discourse. Finally, I draw some practical applications of this perspective.