Socio-Scientific Issues: Changing the Perspective of Science Education

Growing emphasis on situated learning and development of citizenship in science has created the need of incorporation of socio-scientific issues for transaction of science curriculum. The present paper attempts to conceptualize the need of socio-scientific issue based instruction in science education as well as the epistemological framework and expertise required for such teaching. The controversial nature and its social relevance make these issues an effective tool for situated learning and developing scientific literacy for citizenship. Socio-scientific issue based instruction helps learners exploring the controversy around the issue logically and developing deep insight into the scientific concepts involved through recognition of the category of reasonable disagreements among learners and the necessary dispositions and modes of experiences for these disagreements during discussion on the part of the teacher.