Developing and Using Multiple Models to Promote Scientific Literacy in the Context of Socio-Scientific Issues

Learning science in the context of socio-scientific issues (SSI) can promote scientific literacy that links science to everyday life and society. In this position paper, we argue that developing and using multiple models equip students with the appropriate knowledge and skills needed to deal with complex issues. We draw upon literature from science education and philosophy of science and advance our theoretical argument about why it is critical for students to develop and use multiple models as part of their science learning experiences in general, and how the practice benefits students in the context of SSI in particular. We posit that students should engage in both scientific and socio-scientific models as they explore a complex societal issue because (1) engagement in multiple scientific models promotes students’ understanding about the phenomena relevant to the focal issue, and (2) engagement in socio-scientific models helps students to use that scientific knowledge in the larger social contexts and reason about how interacting science and social factors may impact students’ positions on the complex issue. We take COVID-19 as the learning context and present exemplar models students can develop and use as they learn about the pandemic. We conclude the paper by discussing the teaching aspects of the proposed modeling approach for SSI-based instruction as well as identifying possible areas for future research.