Chapter 5: Utilizing Project-Based Learning To Enhance Science Literacy

Science literacy is essential for understanding and making evidence-based decisions about the natural world and the impact of human activity on the natural world (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2003). Quality educational experiences are necessary to build this capacity. However, students in the United States lag behind developed nations, ranking 38th out of 71 in mathematics and 24th out of 71 in science (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2016). Today, fewer American students pursue expertise in STEM fields as the number of U.S. high school graduates choosing STEM-related fields declines each year. Since the 1960s, policy reform for science education in the United States has resulted in calls for instruction to embody what scientists do (National Research Council, 2012). Reforms emphasize the need for students to use models, evidence, and theory to begin the scientific work of explaining and predicting (Krajcik & Shin, 2014). All too often, many students lose interest in scientific disciplines before middle school and do not continue into STEM careers. Curiosity and enthusiasm for science may continually diminish if not fostered in the early grades (Cotabish, Dailey, Robinson & Hughes, 2013; Pratt, 2007). In order to enhance students’ interest in STEM and develop scientific literacy, the United States has developed Next Generation Science Standards (2013) that explicitly aim to increase scientific literacy among students and promote scientific thinking. Project-Based Learning (PBL) addresses scientific literacy by promoting scientific thinking and building students’ interest through student-centered and authentic learning tasks (Adderley et al., 1975; Grant & Hill, 2012).