Teaching scientific explanation and argumentation in a post-truth era

Abstract

Science education is currently facing an unprecedented crisis. We are now living in a posttruth period where basic facts are contested by fake news and conspiracy theories. As public trust in science is declining, the goal of scientific literacy will increasingly be more important. The emphasis of science education in K-12 needs to shift from knowledge acquisition to a deeper appreciation of the nature of science that generates our knowledge of the world. After all, the challenge in an information age is not whether children know about the solar system, evolution, virus, climate change or any information that can be found easily on the internet. Rather, the challenge is to engage children in developing scientific habits of mind that could critically evaluate information based on sound reasoning and evidence.