Knowra Scientific literacy Scientific literacy Scientific literacy is the ability to understand and evaluate scientific ideas, evidence, and methods, and to use that understanding when interpreting claims and making decisions.
Scientific method : A systematic approach to investigating questions through observation, hypothesis formation, testing, and revision. Understanding inquiry helps distinguish testable scientific claims from unsupported assertions.
Health literacy : The ability to find, understand, and use information to make health-related decisions. Evaluating medical evidence is a practical form of scientific literacy.
Science denial : The rejection of well-supported scientific findings despite the strength of their evidence. It contrasts evidence-based evaluation with rejecting conclusions regardless of evidence.
Science education : Teaching and learning science, including its concepts, practices, and ways of knowing. Formal education is a major route to scientific knowledge and inquiry skills.
Evidence : Information or observations used to support or challenge a claim. Scientific literacy depends on judging how strongly evidence supports a conclusion.
Climate change communication : The exchange of information about climate science, its evidence, risks, and responses. Public understanding of climate evidence affects debate and policy choices.
Pseudoscience : Claims presented as scientific but lacking reliable methods, testability, or evidential support. Recognizing pseudoscience tests whether scientific standards are understood.
Public understanding of science : The knowledge, attitudes, and interpretations of science held by people outside specialist communities. It describes the wider social condition that scientific literacy aims to strengthen.
Statistical literacy : The ability to interpret statistical claims, data, and uncertainty in context. Many scientific findings rely on statistics that can be misread without numerical fluency.
Risk communication : The communication of information about hazards, probabilities, and possible consequences. Scientific literacy helps people interpret risks without mistaking probability for certainty.
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