the last half century, public awareness of issues such as population growth,
environmental pollution and the threat of nuclear war has pressured science education to
This study examined student success and teacher performance in a special STS
course in Ontario, Canada. Research questions focused on the STS content knowledge
gain by students completing this course and the impact of the STS teachers’ teaching
practices on this knowledge gain. Student data were collected using pre-course and postcourse
assessments of students’ STS content knowledge. Teacher data were obtained
using semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and videotapes.
Statistical analysis indicated that, after completing the STS course, students
significantly increased their STS content knowledge as measured by the Views on
Science Technology Society instrument. Gender and academic achievement had no
significant impact on this knowledge gain, implying that this course, as taught by these
teachers, could appeal to a wide range of students as a general education course.