The purpose of this study was to analyse Italian high school and university students' attitudes towards physics using the Semiotic Cultural Psychological Theory (SCPT). In the SCPT framework, attitudes represent how individuals interpret their experience through the mediation of "generalized meaning" with which they are identified. A…

Astronomy is seen as a "gateway" science, inspiring students to pursue Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics (STEM) related careers. However, there is little evidence that students' attitudes towards astronomy remain stable over time. By integrating Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), we identified…

The need for an effective communication between scientific research and society is widely known to the broadest scientific community, and the sad times we are living in make it even clearer. At the same time, the need of establishing long-term structural connections between the worlds of research and that of education and scientific communication…

Socioscientific Issues (SSI) provide a strong framework for engaging students and teachers in meaningful and relevant scientific discourse in the development of functional scientific literacy. However, while most teachers recognize the value of introducing students to SSI, they themselves have limited knowledge of SSI and often lack the confidence…

Can science teaching contribute to developing skills for managing uncertainty towards the future and projecting imagination forwards? If so, how? In this paper, we outline an approach to 'teach the future' through science education. In the first part, we describe a framework that has been constructed to orient the design of teaching modules…

Educating future scientists and citizens is more effective if students are guided to correctly apply what they learned in school to their daily lives. This experience-based work is focused on the study of a well-known commercial product: cat litter. This material offers different starting points for a critical examination. Questions related to…

The subfield of Darwin studies devoted to comparative reception coalesced around 1971 with the planning of a conference on the subject, at the University of Texas at Austin held in April 1972. The original focus was western Europe, Russia and the United States. Subsequently a spate of studies on the Italian reception added to the Eurocentric…

Recent work in science and technological studies has provided a clearer understanding of the way in which science functions in society and the interconnectedness among different strands of science, policy, economy and environment. It is well acknowledged that a different way of thinking is required in order to address problems facing the global…

Lipidomics is an emerging discipline in life sciences related to the lipid metabolism of living organisms. In the last decade chemical and biological research has attributed very important roles to membrane phospholipids in relationship to free radical stress and metabolic situations. An entrepreneurial initiative for diagnostic tools and health…

Described is the History of Science as a flourishing branch of scholarly research and cultural life in Italy, with a growing impact on social demand for knowledge and intellectual participation. The relationship between History and Philosophy of Science is discussed. (KR)

Describes a procedure developed by students that measures the mass concentration of particles in a polluted urban atmosphere. Uses a portable fan and filters of various materials. Compares students' data with official data. (DDR)

Investigates Italian high school and college students' awareness of the risks connected with both the civilian and military uses of nuclear energy. Summarizes some findings of this analysis and concludes that the education regarding nuclear issues does not meet current needs. Provides a questionnaire on nuclear issues. (YP)

Investigates school children's images of scientists in Brazil, the United States, France, Italy, Chile, Mexico, India, and Nigeria by having them make drawings. Discusses the relationship between image and career choice. (DDR)

This paper is presented in three parts. Part 1 discusses a three-phase research project in civics conducted during the school years 1984-85, 1986-87, and 1988-89 by a research institute in Emilia-Romagna (Italy). Students and teachers were surveyed in the preliminary 84-85 survey, which indicated that civics was not effectively integrated into an…

This paper discusses innovative schemes for environmental protection training in Italy. Section I lists elements contained in well-organized environment protection activity. Section II provides an example of environmental training for Italian trade union leaders that helps them understand the complexity of environmental systems and negotiate the…