Abstract
Today our lives are dependent on developments in science and technology. There is a need for all citizens to develop scientific and technological literacy. Schools provide education through a number of subject areas including science. What is the role of science education in promoting scientific and technological literacy (STL) ? This workshop explores the philosophy behind a wider interpretation of the goals of science education and the manner in which this can be achieved. An important component is the need to give ownership of the philosophy to science teachers through the creation of supplementary materials based on STL criteria. These criteria reflect on teaching practices and the structuring of science content. The materials can relate to the teaching of science subjects at any age level and are based on societal relevance. The workshop first introduces the philosophy of STL and then looks at examples of supplementary teaching materials. In considering STL, the links and extensions from the STS (Science-Teachnology-Society) teaching approach are explained.
