Communicating science in the new media environment : the advancement of science literacy

Abstract EN

Science is the social foundation that encompasses all facets of life, from educating individuals, to allowing them to make informed decisions in their daily lives.

Science is ultimately our way of learning about life; thus, the field of science education must acknowledge the significance of, and pressing need for scientific literacy in creating conscious, well-informed citizens in today’s world.

The debate on the credibility of science content and information offered by media experts is especially pertinent to science communication.

New media is the new sphere that allocates knowledge and its processing to various audiences.

New media technologies have revolutionized the realm of interactivity, allowing for knowledge-sharing platforms to be among the novel digital forms of communications.

This exploratory study discusses the fluctuating familiarity with the term “scientific literacy”, that extends beyond the use of skills.

The purpose of this study is to examine the Egyptian public’s utilization and consumption of new media tools, with a focus on scientific information and popular science topics.

Moreover, this study aims to examine the Egyptian public’s perception of the concept of “scientific literacy”, and delves deeper by investigating the different levels of science literacy that make an individual “scientifically-literate.” This study used an online questionnaire to assess motivation factors for new media preeminence in science communication in comparison to traditional media.

The study also provided examination of success factors for the advancement of scientific literacy in Egypt, as well as factors prohibiting that advancement of scientific literacy.