Is science a universal or a culture‑specifc endeavor? The benefts of having secondary students critically explore this question

Abstract

In this theoretical paper, I argue that whether science is universal or culture-specific endeavor is a nature of science (NOS) question that needs to be explored critically by learners in a science classroom. Delimiting the discussion to precollege (secondary) science education, I discuss the educational benefits of such a proposal and evaluate its potential from a perspective of developing scientifically literate citizenry. I start the paper by discussing what critical thinking (CT) is and how it is fundamental for knowledge generation within the contexts of western science and indigenous societies. Next, I focus on the scholarly debates within science education circles on the role of culture in science. I highlight the fundamental role of CT in those debates. I point out a paradox: Despite its fundamental role, CT as an educational goal gets poorly featured in the recommendations of science education scholars regarding how school science education should portray the role of culture in science. On the contrary, most of those recommendations look upon the role of culture through specific ideological lenses and may lead to indoctrination. As an alternative, I suggest future citizens be empowered, in developmentally appropriate ways, by engaging in critical deliberation of assumptions and ideologies that underlie both science and their science learning. This entails bringing the debates on the role of culture in science into the science classroom and guiding the learners to explore them critically and in ways that are meaningful and useful for them as future citizens. I argue that such an approach brings CT into the foreground of the teaching and learning of NOS. It also empowers learners to develop a critical mindset with which they can practice making decisions about NOS. Additionally, it makes the teaching and learning of NOS more authentic—aligned with how scholars use CT as the main tool for engaging in philosophical debates and for producing their competing ideas. I illustrate an example to show how such a proposal could be enacted and discuss its implications for fostering scientific literacy.