Many people involved in teaching and
curriculum development in science
believe that there are considerable
benefits associated with the use of
context-based
or
science-
technology-society (STS)
approaches in science teaching
.
This booklet examines the research
evidence on the effects of context-
based and STS approaches to the
teaching of science. In particular, it
looks at the effects on students’
understanding of science ideas and on
their attitudes to science.
The evidence presented has been
gathered using the systematic review
methods based on those developed as
part of the
Evidence, Policy and
Practice Initiative (EPPI)
, a
Government-sponsored project in the
UK whose aim is to synthesis and
disseminate research findings in key
areas of education.