Schools must teach how scientific facts are built

Science lessons should teach students not only facts but also how scientific knowledge is produced and why it can be trusted, according to a study reported by ERR. Researchers say this is increasingly important as scientific knowledge competes with alternative ideas.

Katrin Vaino, a science education researcher at the University of Tartu, said students once did not need to be persuaded of the credibility of scientific knowledge or the evidence behind it. Now, she said, schools need to help them understand how knowledge is established.

Vaino and colleagues from universities in Umeå and Cyprus analysed scientific literature published since 2020 to identify four areas that science education should address more. They also examined the EVIDENCE learning model, which is already used in Estonia. Science lessons can use it to simulate decision-making based on scientific evidence, Vaino said.

One priority is media literacy. Although it is already included in Estonia’s national curriculum as a science competency, Vaino said students should also learn how misinformation spreads. She suggested introducing them to a moderate amount of misinformation and its dissemination strategies, so they are better prepared to recognise it later.

Students should also learn to recognise their own biases, Vaino said. Critical thinking involves being aware of those biases and trying to correct for them.

Another priority is helping students understand science as a social practice, including how research is peer-reviewed and how new findings can confirm or overturn earlier ones.