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NATURE SCIENCE NOT ONLY FOR SCIENTISTS
Authors: Janis Gedrovics
Number of views: 147
During the last decades interest in humanities has dominated the social sciences. As a result, natural science has been neglected, in spite of it being critical to the understanding of the causation of all the disasters occurring in different parts of the world. It is becoming more difficult to select students in science study programmes because there are fewer opportunities for such students due to the economics of globalization trends.
“Natural science only for scientists!” is the common view of the society. Opinion polls reveal little interest in chemistry, physics and biology. On the other hand, other viewpoints in public debates point out the importance of natural science studies in national curricula, since it is already part and parcel of general education. Also, many students are eager to take it up as an optional course.
Professor Svein Sjøberg from the Oslo University (Norway), the well-known contemporary specialist in science didactics, is an ardent supporter of this viewpoint. His recently published book Naturfag som allmenndannelse: En kritisk fagdidaktikk [Natural Science as General Education: a Critical Didactic] has been reissued not only in Norway (Gyldendal Akademisk, 2004), but also published in Sweden (Studentlitteratur, 2000) as well as reissued by Studentlitteratur in 2005. In early 2005, a translation of this book appeared in Denmark (Klim, 2005) during the 8th Nordic Symposium Nature Science at School.