Essay On Science And Technology In Today'S Context

Hence, there may also be different views on suitable strategies to overcome it.The chapter also offers a critical description of school science and technology education, together with a brief account of some recent international trends.Science and technology are major cultural products of human history, and all citizens, independently of their occupational 'needs', should be acquainted with them as elements of human culture.

Hence, there may also be different views on suitable strategies to overcome it.The chapter also offers a critical description of school science and technology education, together with a brief account of some recent international trends.Science and technology are major cultural products of human history, and all citizens, independently of their occupational 'needs', should be acquainted with them as elements of human culture.

It is a paradox that the break is most marked in some of the Nordic countries, where gender equity has been a prime educational aim for decades.

For example, while the Nordic countries come out on top of all the countries in the world on the Gender Empowerment Measure, an indicator developed by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP 2001), the same countries have very low female participation rates in science- and technology-related occupations and studies.

Many institutions of higher education are unable to fill their places in science and technology with students of a satisfactory quality.

The problems in recruitment are revealed by a range of objective and uncontroversial educational statistics.

This chapter describes and analyses some of the challenges facing science and technology (S&T) education by relating these to their wider social setting.

Although the focus is on aspects emerging from a European (or OECD) context, some of the issues raised are likely to have a wider validity.Meaningful and independent participation in modern democracies assumes an ability to judge the evidence and arguments associated with the many socio-scientific issues that appear on the political agenda.In short, modern societies need people with scientific and technological qualifications at the highest level as well as a general public which has a broad understanding of the contents and methods of science and technology, coupled with an insight into their role as social forces that shape the future.This lack of interest in science often manifests itself at school level at the age where curricular choices are made.In many countries, there is a noticeable decrease in the numbers of students choosing (some of) the sciences.This concern is often based on comprehensive appraisals of the education and labour markets. There is also a more or less identifiable fall in the quality of the newcomers.A lower quality may, of course, be a consequence of the fact that very few candidates compete for places at institutions where the entrance qualifications were previously very high.This is followed by a similar analysis of who needs science and technology education, and for what purposes.The point here is that the problem of student recruitment may be perceived differently from different perspectives and by different interests.Our societies are dominated and even 'driven' by ideas and products from science and technology (S&T) and it is very likely that the influence of science and technology on our lives will continue to increase in the years to come.Scientific and technological knowledge, skills and artefacts 'invade' all realms of life in modern society: the workplace and the public sphere are increasingly dependent on new as well as upon more established technologies.