Defining Science
Defining ‘Science’
‘Science’ used in this strategy, means all-encompassing knowledge based on scholarship and research which is underpinned by methodologies that build up and test increased understanding about the world and beyond.
- The definition of ‘science’ used in this strategy is deliberately wide, encompassing physical, biological, engineering, medical, natural and social disciplines, including research in the arts and humanities.
- However, this does not mean that individual disciplines and specialisms are ignored but that they are not all mentioned in every sentence.
- This definition does not distinguish between the acquisition of knowledge and the exploitation of knowledge.
In a study by the Chemical Industry Education Centre at the University of York (authors Cliff Porter and Joy Parvin) on behalf of the Shell Education Service:
- 6% of a poll of 4,000 UK students rated “science” as their favourite subject. Evidence also shows that attitudes to science lessons decline with age, and that pupils feel lessons become less inspiring and engaging as they get older.
- 28% would like to take science further than the age of 16 because they feel it would be good for a particular choice of career.
- 50% of year 9 students said they would take one science subject after their GCSEs.
- 77% recognised that it would be useful for their future to study science.
Attitudes Statistics
Responding to the Public Attitudes to Science survey in 2008:
- 56% of adults think that science and technology are too specialised for most people to understand
- 61% think that scientists put too little effort into communicating with the public about their work
- 27% of younger people agreed that ‘school put me off science’
- 47% of younger people viewed science as a good career choice
Science, Society and Policy
Science: includes areas where science is undertaken (universities, science-based industry such as engineering or pharmaceutical companies, government agencies such as the Health Protection Agency), business, learned societies, Research Councils, national academies and research-based charities
Society: includes schools, media, cultural institutions, citizens and communities
Policy: includes politicians and policy makers in central, devolved and local governments, Regional Development Agencies, Non Departmental Public Bodies and regulatory bodies
