In this paper we present the development and validation a comprehensive questionnaire to assess college students' knowledge about modern genetics and genomics, their belief in genetic determinism, ...and their attitudes towards applications of modern genetics and genomic-based technologies. Written in everyday language with minimal jargon, the Public Understanding and Attitudes towards Genetics and Genomics (PUGGS) questionnaire is intended for use in research on science education and public understanding of science, as a means to investigate relationships between knowledge, determinism and attitudes about modern genetics, which are to date little understood. We developed a set of core ideas and initial items from reviewing the scientific literature on genetics and previous studies on public and student knowledge and attitudes about genetics. Seventeen international experts from different fields (e.g., genetics, education, philosophy of science) reviewed the initial items and their feedback was used to revise the questionnaire. We validated the questionnaire in two pilot tests with samples of university freshmen students. The final questionnaire contains 45 items, including both multiple choice and Likert scale response formats. Cronbach alpha showed good reliability for each section of the questionnaire. In conclusion, the PUGGS questionnaire is a reliable tool for investigating public understanding and attitudes towards modern genetics and genomic-based technologies.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Tabloid and elite newspapers differ in journalistic style and address different socioeconomic segments of society. Few studies have systematically investigated how these differences influence science ...communication, and the issue of genetics is particularly relevant. In this study, we performed a quantitative frame analysis of genetic discourse in 12 national newspapers that address different audiences. We found that tabloid and elite newspapers use different frames when communicating the gene concept. The differences were related to the use of expert writers and choice of topics, and we discuss how framing of the gene concept is related to the newspapers’ editorial profiles.
After completion of formal education, the mass media represent people's primary source of scientific information. Besides the traditional attention to scientific knowledge, national curricula are ...therefore increasingly emphasizing critical and reflexive engagement with media content as a key objective of science education. Despite this curricular emphasis, there are few methods for teaching media literacy in science class. Here, we apply frame analysis to meet this challenge. Based on a previously described framing scheme for classifying gene-related information into five gene frames, we developed a pilot teaching programme for upper secondary school biology. Thirty-four students from two parallel classes were taught how to identify gene frames in media texts. The programme was placed at the end of their conventional genetics teaching, so that the students already had a basic knowledge in genetics. Learning outcomes were evaluated with pre- and post-test word association maps and focus group interviews, as well as analysis of the classroom work. We found that the students fully grasped the idea that there are different ways of framing the gene concept and they were able to recognize the different gene frames in newspaper texts. We also saw a shift in how the students used the gene concept, from a simplistic and deterministic perspective to a more dynamic and evolutionary understanding of genetic causation. In addition, the students became more critical of media claims. We, thus, conclude that frame analysis of gene-related news stories represents an effective activity for promoting media literacy and more insight into genetic causation.
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