The Role of Narrative in Communicating Science

Abstract

The present theoretical paper presents a case for the use of narrative (i.e., fictional written text) in science education as a way of making science meaningful, relevant, and accessible to the public. Grounded in literature pointing to the value of narrative in supporting learning and the need to explore new modes of communicating science, this paper explores the potential of narrative in science education. More specifically, in this paper we explore the question: What is narrative and why might it be of value to science education? In answering this question we propose a view of narrative and its necessary components, which permits narrative a role in science education, and is, in fact, the main contribution of this paper. Also, a range of examples of narrative text are offered in the paper to make the case for a representation of fictional narrative in science. In order to address questions connected with the use of narrative in science education, a research agenda based on perspectives of narrative implications for learning is framed.

Notes

1. A good example is the recent controversy surrounding the use of the triple vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella (the MMR vaccine). Because of one paper published in 1999 suggesting there might be a correlation between this vaccine and autism, a significant number of parents have declined to have their children vaccinated. The numbers taking this decision are now large enough to risk a new epidemic of any one of these diseases. Moreover, the author of the original paper has now retracted it, indicating that the evidence on which the claim was based is now flawed.