Poster

Worldviews: How Undergraduate Introductory Astronomy Students Relate Science to Five Social Domains

Poster
Astronomy education research on the role of astronomy in schools
4th Shaw-IAU Workshop
Tuesday Nov. 15, 2022
UTC: 8 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
, Wednesday Nov. 16, 2022
UTC: noon - 1:30 p.m.

Understanding how students relate course material to beliefs about social frameworks outside the classroom can help instructors make courses more inclusive and engaging. We report on a study of undergraduate students enrolled in introductory astronomy courses, who completed a five question survey about the relationship of science to society, quality of life, daily life, government, and religion. We find that a majority of students believe the relationship of science to society is more significant than insignificant; the influence of science on quality of life is more favorable than unfavorable; everyday life is more connected than disconnected to science; the government is more supportive than unsupportive of science; and religion and science are more not in conflict than in conflict.

Biography:

Hannah Lewis is an undergraduate (class of 2023) at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. She is currently applying to graduate programs, and her research interests include student motivation in astronomy and curriculum design for astronomy education.

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