Public Understanding of and Attitudes towards Science & Technology in China

摘要

China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) began the research and survey of the Chinese Public Understanding of Science and Technology at the beginning of the 1990s with the help of Prof. Jon D. Miller, then Director of US National Public Opinion Research Center and Longitudinal Studies of the Youth at the Illinois University. By introducing the conventional approach of indicators and a questionnaire designed for the measurement of science literacy popularly used in the West, Chinese researchers designed and prepared a modified version of the questionnaire to fit the social context and the conditions for a mass survey in China. In order to have a picture of China's position in the world in this aspect, the questions were well contrived for investigating the public's scientific literacy compatible with that of the US, EU, Canada and Japan. Another objective for the survey is to get a better understanding of the current level of scientific literacy among Chinese adults (aged from 18 to 69) in a bid to provide information for the policy making regarding science communication and institutional reforms of science education throughout the country. The contents of the national survey include public understanding of science (i.e. the understanding of scientific concepts and terms, scientific processes and the impact of science on society), the attitudes towards science and technology and the sources that the common people get their information pertaining to science and technology. The national surveys have been conducted in 1992, 1994, 1996, 2001 and 2003 respectively.