School science, citizenship and the public understanding of science

Quantitative and qualitative studies of the public understanding of science have been conducted in many countries. They provide important insights into the extent to which lay citizens understand a number of important scientific concepts, and into the ways in which they seek and use scientific knowledge. This paper draws upon the outcomes of these studies to identify some of the dimensions of 'citizen science', and to examine their implications for the form and content of school science education.