Popular science writing bringing new perspectives into science students' theses

ABSTRACT

This study analyses which perspectives occur in science students’ texts at different points in time during the process of writing a popular science article. The intention is, thus, to explore how popular science writing can help students discover and discuss different perspectives on science matter. For this purpose, texts written by 12 bachelor students in biology were analysed in a case study. For each of the students, four texts were studied using content analysis: two versions of a popular science article on the student's bachelor project, and two texts reflecting on why the project is interesting. Throughout the writing process an increased number of perspectives was observed; the character of the perspectives also changed, from a narrow research perspective to a wider societal perspective. For example, environmental, medical, economical or ethical perspectives were added during the writing process. There was also a change concerning the level on which science matter was discussed, from specific to more general. A second aim was to explore how popular science writing may facilitate students’ scientific writing. In this part of the study, content analysis was conducted on 23 students’ written reflections. A vast majority described how the popular writing facilitated, in particular, the choice of content and perspectives also in their scientific writing. Altogether, the study concludes that popular science writing offers a cognitive tool to widen science students’ perspectives, and hence, to promote their development of scientific literacy and achievement of scientific writing skills.

KEYWORDS:

• Popularising science
• learning through writing
• scientific literacy
• higher education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.