What Makes People Attend to and Trust Science and Scientific Experts in Online Contexts?

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What Makes People Attend to and Trust Science and Scientific Experts in Online Contexts?

Author: Friederike Hendriks – University of Münster, Germany

Co-authors:

  • Danny Flemming – Leibniz-Institut für Wissensmedien, Germany
  • Asheley R. Landrum – Texas Tech University, United States
  • Anne Reif – TU Braunschweig, Germany
  • Aviv J. Sharon – Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel
  • Sara K. Yeo – University of Utah, United States

In current controversial public debates (e.g., about climate change, vaccination), people discuss how the future of our societies and our relationship with technology should be shaped, and many of these debates proceed in online environments. While some people refer to scientific evidence and arguments, and also demand that science–as a system generating relevant knowledge for solving today’s problems–should be trusted, others neglect scientific arguments and evidence, or actively voice their distrust in science and technological developments. In this session, we raise the question of what makes people attend to and trust scientific information and scientific experts in online contexts.

The first three papers investigate important factors of how individuals seek online information and which experts they perceive as trustworthy. Landrum et al. investigate the influence of gender and science curiosity on accessing scientific content on YouTube; Sharon et al. focus on the influence of an information seeker’s personal stance toward a topic for trustworthiness ratings of experts during information seeking in forums; and Yeo finds that not only a humorous presentation, but also source expertise explains how much people perceive comedy a valid source of scientific information. The final two presentations more broadly investigate factors that might benefit individuals’ acceptance of scientific information and trust in science: Flemming et al. introduce refutation texts as a means to enhance the acceptance of uncertainty in scientific communication, while Taddicken et al. investigate with a representative survey how individuals’ trust, knowledge and online use contribute to their problem awareness of climate change.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Linked papers
Theme: Time

The Nano Lens – Art, Science, Nature

Author: Alice Motion – University of Sydney, Australia

Co-authors:

  • Chiara Neto – University of Sydney, Australia
  • Chiara O’Reilly – University of Sydney, Australia

The Nano Lens project explores what it means to look and aims to expand visual experience. Presented in Schools and at Public Outreach events at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney, the project challenges us to see things in nature anew and develop a deeper understand of the links between art and science. Both art and science celebrate and look out for the details in the world around us – a still life painting demands close study from both the artist and the viewer and science has long studied the details of nature.

This project seeks to question what it means to look? What does it mean to continue the close study of the detail in the world around us beyond what is visible to the eye or under a traditional microscope? What do techniques of microscopy like scanning electron microscope (SEM) uncover? What new structures and surfaces can be revealed in looking all the way down to the nano scale – a scale difficult to imagine of ‘one billionth of a metre’ that is full of beauty and extraordinary potential.

The Nano lens was born out of a new collaboration between nanoscience and the humanities. It is designed to help show the fascinating worlds of nanoscience and art to a wider public – moving beyond popular discussions of nanoscience which have focused on debates over the safety of nanoparticles in sunscreen or nano robots in science fiction and open up a new appreciation for art and science.

This presentation will explore the ways that art has helped members of the public to gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the nanoworld and how, in turn the nanoworld has helped to increase their understanding and appreciation of art.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Visual presentation
Theme: Transformation

Communicating their own research: What do we need to know about the role of scientists and researchers in science communication?

Author: Friederike Hendriks – University of Münster, Germany

Co-authors:

  • Yael Barel-Ben David – Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel
  • Carolin Enzigmüller – IPN Kiel, Germany
  • Hans Peter Peters – FZ Jülich & Free University Berlin, Germany

In this round table session, we take a cross-disciplinary look at scientists who engage in the communication of (their own) science and research. In the last years, scientists have been more actively involved in science communication, as scientific research itself is becoming more and more transparent, science communication does increasingly take place online, and outreach activities at universities are relying on scientists to communicate their science.

This increasing involvement of scientists in science communication raises interesting questions for science communication researchers. For example, the speakers in this round table session have investigated which motives researchers hold to engage in science communication, which different communication objectives may shape the science communication by scientists, how communication objectives are adapted to the event and an anticipated public, how science communication might interact with interdisciplinary communication within large collaborative research groups, and how research on the perspectives of scientists engaged in science communication can inform science communication training. To answer these questions, different theoretical approaches were used, e.g. the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991), theories related to the field of expert-lay communication (e.g. Clark, 1996), or models of educational reconstruction (e.g. Duit et al., 2012).

This roundtable discussion aims to connect cross-disciplinary and international ideas and findings, discussing which research questions need to be addressed in order to investigate the perspectives of scientists as science communicators. We also want to connect overarching theoretical approaches to address these research questions, reflecting on how different disciplinary perspectives can be useful to this field of research, including social science and communication science (Peters), psychology (Hendriks), and science education (Barel-Ben David, Enzingmüller).

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Roundtable discussion
Theme: Transformation

Fun with Electromagnetism and Art: The role of a museum exhibition in the formation of educators for scientific communication

Author: Matheus Barros – Dica Museum / Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil

Co-authors:

  • Silvia Martins – DICA Museum / Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil
  • Natália Nunes – DICA Museum / Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil

Science museums offer lots of possibilities for science communications as the science contents may be considered the main heritage and the exhibitions represent opportunities to engage public with science. Besides that, the exhibition bears the marks of the team and its creation process. Therefore, we present here three moments that marked the process of elaborating strategies for an exhibition about electromagnetism for a science museum in Brazil linked to a local university. The first moment was marked with a team of museum educators discussing philosophic, historic, and scientific contents to develop a narrative for the exhibition focused on Physics, that was presented to the public in 2015. In addition, with the engagement of physics undergraduate students, the educational team of the museum elaborated some new digital strategies were developed to incorporate to the exhibition in 2016. In a third moment, the purpose of the exhibition was revisited and a new team, involving physics and biology undergraduate students, to purpose a new narrative interweaving concepts of physics and sustainability. In this scenario, we could see that each of these three moments represented a different way for the presentation of scientific concepts, allowing the public to have different views on the science of Eletromagnetism, highlighting the team’s marks in the exhibition. In addition, we believe that the process of elaborating the exhibition not only highlighted the views of the team but also left marks on them, provided by the involvement of people from different backgrounds and creating narratives to tell the stories. Thus, we understand that the Dica Museum, being a university museum, fulfills its role of training people, providing undergraduate students of physics and biology the opportunity to develop skills to elaborate narratives for the communication of science.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Insight talk
Theme: Transformation

How do the EU and US communicate about policy issues that rely on science?

Author: Marlit Hayslett – University of Virginia, United States

Imagine hearing on the news that a long-trusted food product was suddenly found to be harmful: Would you serve it to your family and friends? It’s a tough question. As seekers and creators of knowledge, we should ask “where is the scientific evidence that this food is now harmful?” However, what if there is no research? Or if the available research is genuinely disputed? In this situation, it’s often better to be safe than risk harming our loved ones. This reticence is known at a societal level as the precautionary principle: Better safe than sorry. Policymakers may employ this principle when they are unsure about the effects of a product. To counter precaution, policymakers may turn to science as a way to evaluate the risk.

With more than $600B in annual trade, the European Union and the United States are the world’s largest trading partners. The EU and the US vary in their levels of (pre)caution towards products that depend on science to help inform public policy. Why is this important? If one jurisdiction is more cautious, it may complicate and even impede trade relations thereby jeopardizing businesses and jobs.

The current study contributes to the science communication literature by comparing how the science was communicated in EU and US policy documents on three topics that rely on science for decision-making: Cyclamate, an artificial sweetener, banned in the US but available in the EU; hormone-treated beef, available in the US but banned in the EU; and bisphenol A banned in baby bottles in both the EU and the US. More than 100 policy documents from 1969 to 2018 were evaluated for statements of risk and how the ultimate policy was shaped by the scientific research, among other attributes. Preliminary findings suggest important differences in the US and EU policy-making processes.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Individual paper
Theme: Technology

Training Future Scientists: The Role of Analogies in Science Communication

Author: Marlit Hayslett – University of Virginia, United States

The guiding principles of communicating science are well-known: know your audience, simplify your writing, avoid jargon, etc. As an instructor of science communication at the University of Virginia, I have learned that while we know what we should do (e.g. reduce jargon), we are lacking teaching methods for actually doing it. We tell our students over and over that they should “know their audience”, but unless we provide them with specific techniques or models, they are unlikely to be successful. What do I mean? For example, business schools often rely on the case study method to help students learn business strategies. Engineering programs use problem-based learning to teach students how to analyze the situation before rushing to a solution. These pedagogical frameworks do not exist for research communication.

To address this challenge, I have been building a portfolio of lesson plans for the accepted principles of science/research communication. In this proposed demonstration, I will lead a session on how to craft an analogy to explain a complex concept. We intuitively know that comparison is a helpful tool for explanation, but how do we actually do it in a systematic, thoughtful way? In my teaching, I have developed a “recipe” for crafting an analogy. This session will include 1) the lesson (40 min) 2) Q&A about the lesson (15 min); and 3) an open discussion about how to build pedagogical resources for science communication (20 min). One possible long-term goal from the session would be to create a collaborative team to work on a textbook and/or website for teaching science/research communication.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Demonstration
Theme: Transformation

Breaking Good – open source drug discovery and science communication

Author: Alice Motion – University of Sydney, Australia

The Open Source Malaria (OSM) consortium has been pioneering open source drug discovery since 2011. The aim of the project is to find a small molecule that is effective for the treatment of malaria using open science principles. All experiments are published on the Internet in electronic lab notebooks, all data are available for anyone to use and there will be no patents.

One of the many advantages of this open approach is that barriers to participation are much lower than for traditional drug discovery projects. This has enabled the development of a chemical education and citizen science project, Breaking Good, whereby undergraduates and even high school students can take part in a real research project and synthesise new drug targets.

Over the past five years, undergraduates in the USA, UK and Australia have all worked on the synthesis of novel antimalarials and some of the molecules made show promising activity against Plasmodium falciparum. Additionally, a class at a local high school have contributed to OSM and in 2016, they synthesised the price-hiked toxoplasmosis medicine, Daraprim, in their high school laboratory.

In this paper, Dr Alice Motion will describe the impact of widening participation in research to realise research for all and opening up conversations about access to medicine through the involvement of non-experts in the discovery of new medicines.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Visual presentation
Theme: Transformation

Citizens on the driving seat of solar energy research

Author: Luisa Fernanda Barbosa Gomez – University Pompeu Fabra – Studies Centre on Science, Communication and Society, Spain

Co-authors:

  • Martin Brocklehurst – KempleyGREEN Consultants – European Citizen Science Association, United Kingdom
  • Ana Belén Cristóbal – Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain
  • Gema Revuelta – University Pompeu Fabra – Studies Centre on Science, Communication and Society, Spain
  • Regina Schwald – European Science Communication Institute, Germany

The world is increasingly demanding a shift towards a sustainable energy system that uses renewable sources. Despite the societal relevance of energy research, there is a clear gap of participatory science projects in the field. For instance, when searching for citizen science projects on SciStarter with the keyword “energy”, only two relevant results show up. One of them is an Australian app that allows citizens to participate in energy surveys, learn about energy challenges and read about the latest breakthroughs. The other one uses gamification to let young people design renewable energy systems for cities across the U.S. based on real scientific data. However, none of them yet connect to an ongoing research project.

After identifying such a gap, GRECO intends to transform the relationship between citizens and research that tackles the societal challenge of secure, clean and efficient energy. To achieve such a goal, GRECO researchers and science communicators are based on open science, responsible research and citizen science. For instance, GRECO coordinates a participatory and innovative citizen science process that can be described in four steps. First, researchers propose how citizens can actively collaborate in their research. Second, an online hackathon to design a citizen science project is made, with 62 participants from 15 countries around the world. Third, the proposals received are evaluated and one is chosen. Fourth and last, the co-created citizen science initiative is developed and launched to be adopted by the solar energy research community. “Generation Solar” has been fully launched in web and mobile versions since 2020 and there are now more than 130 installations registered.

With this process, GRECO seeks to include society in the decision-making, design and exploitation process of solar energy research and innovation, and put citizens in the driver’s seat to recognize the relevance of photovoltaic energy on a more sustainable world.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Insight talk
Theme: Transformation

“Photograph 51”: Science Communication in Contemporary Theater

Author: Constantinos Morfakis – National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Department of History and Philosophy of Science, Greece

Co-authors:

  • Yannis Hatzikiriakos – National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Department of Communication and Mass Media, Greece

In our time, the interaction between science and performing arts updates famous C.P. Snow’s view of “two cultures” (1956) – which science and the arts/humanities are at “war” with each other – to a “third culture” that arts and science may actually build a harmonious relationship. According to Lustig and Shepherd-Barr (2002) “science is in vogue on stage as it has never been before. The best of these plays go far beyond using science as an ornament or a plot device”.

In this paper, we consider issues about the public image of a famous women scientist in the award-winning drama of Anna Ziegler, called Photograph 51 (2015). The “bioplay” is known for its revelation of the laboratory life of x-ray crystallographer Rosalind Franklin and her often-overlooked role in the discovery of the double helix structure of DNA whilst at King’s College London, where she shared a laboratory with the molecular biologist Maurice Wilkins.

Making use of actor-network theory (ANT), our given reading of Photograph 51 opens the “black box” of technoscience. In Latour’s terms (2005), this drama shapes a public image of technoscience as a network of heterogeneous elements which are taking place within a set of diverse practices. In STS’s terms, Photograph 51 depicts the laboratory life (Latour & Woolgar 1986) and science in action (Latour 1987) highlighting the Baconian character of modern science (Ihde 2004; Hacking, 1983). Alongside, drawn upon Gender Studies (Keller, 1987; Fliker 2003), we point how Photograph 51 shapes a feminist image of woman scientist in a male dominated scientific community. It invites us to look at the way women are treated in science today by looking at the subject through the prism of the past. In this context, Photograph 51 proves performing arts to be an advantageous medium that transforms the up-to-now way of science communication.

Presentation type: Insight talk
Theme: Time

Reflections on 20 years of training in Science Journalism in Brazil

Author: Germana Barata – State University of Campinas, Brazil

Co-authors:

  • Alessandra Carnauskas – State University of Campinas, Brazil
  • Simone Pallone – State University of Campinas, Brazil

Science journalism training at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) has turned 20 years old and is the longest-running course in Brazil. The 18-month course is free and has graduated 382 science journalists. Classes are composed of 40 students with backgrounds in science or communication to enrich dialogue and practice in science communication.

UNICAMP has received, since 1999, 69% of the Media-Science Grant Program from the São Paulo State Research Foundation (FAPESP). This important support improves students’ training and scientists” perception about science communication.

A total of 498 students have enrolled in the course, and women are the majority among journalists and scientists of all fields, including hard sciences (51%). Biomedicine is the main field of scientists (45.9%). There is a higher dropout rate among scientists (19.8%) compared to journalists (9.5%), and men (16.1%) compared to women (10.4%). Thirty-nine students (10.2%) have started a Master’s degree and seven a PhD in science communication or in Science & Technology Policy at UNICAMP, showing the courses” relevance in expanding the interest in science communication research.

We surveyed 203 students to know if they currently work in science communication. The majority are women (66%) from São Paulo State (79.3%) and 71.4% work in science communication, mainly among journalists. The course may improve employability and be considered more relevant among journalists and women, a hypothesis that will be investigated.

In the last 20 years, students have evaluated the course which contributed to refining the program. Training has strengthened practicals in science communication, multimedia and social media, besides partnership with Unicamp’s communication channels and commercial media to boost professional experience. Course completion work is focused on the journalism market, practical communication solutions and will be publicly presented.

Future challenges include decreasing the dropout rate among scientists; investing in startups; strengthening science communication practice among graduated scientists; offering short-courses and establishing international partnerships and improving students” survey.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Insight talk
Theme: Time

Transforming the Way We Talk about (and Do!) Mathematical Science Communication

Author: Anna Maria Hartkopf – Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

With being the M in the STEM acronym, mathematics is well represented in science communication. However, (pure) mathematics has its own branch of outreach activities.

Analysis of the semantics of mathematical science communication literature reveals an omnipresent “lack of appreciation“ for their field that is felt by mathematicians. “Popularization of mathematics“ and “raising the public awareness of mathematics“ are goals explicitly set by mathematical societies and unions around the world. Rarely are these objectives precisely defined. We take a close look at the beliefs, assumptions, and purports that can be found at the foundation of articles about mathematical science communication and point out common themes that indicate a perception which aligns with the outdated deficit model. Mathematical societies still aim to enhance the situation by educating the public about mathematics’ importance and beauty.

We propose new definitions for objectives of mathematical outreach, such as „public awareness of mathematics“ or „mathematical literacy“ that open the door for more participation and a dialogical approach. Because science communication is a practice more than a theory, we present best practice examples and impulses towards a more inclusive and eye-level realization of mathematical science communication projects.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Individual paper
Theme: Transformation

Which has more influence on the Spaniard’s citizens dieting: The media’s information and social networks, health professionals or close experiences of relatives and friends?

Author: Carolina Moreno-Castro – University of Valencia, Spain

Co-authors:

  • Lorena Cano-Orón – University of Valencia, Spain
  • Isabel Mendoza-Poudereux – Unviersity of Valencia, Spain/li>
  • Ana Serra-Perales – University of Valencia, Spain
  • Empar Vengut-Climent – University of Valencia, Spain

Spaniard’s consumption habits have been subjected to a high mutations process since approximately the 80s, coinciding with the increased emergence of great media corporations, advertising agencies, the audio-visual industry, and at this time, social networks. It has been a slow process, but continuous throughout the time, that has managed to modify the Spaniard’s habits (based on a Mediterranean diet) and impact the whole population’s health. The main objectives of this study are to know:

1) What do media and social networks role play in the decision to decline for one food or another?
2) Which channels do citizens to use to look for nutrition information?
3) Which are the favourites sources of information to understand information related-food?

To respond to these questions, at October 2019, ScienceFlows team has launched a questionnaire to 100 Spaniard people, population-representative; i.e. gender, age, academic training, ethnicity, impaired people, and professional career. The survey incorporated variables to know if the choice of a diet by citizen were based by the information popularised on the digital media, social networks, political, moral, religious influences, or intimate experiences from relatives and friends. Then, people from the selected sample sent the questionary to friends and relatives through WhatsApp. Finally, we have received 325 responses. We are working in the analysis of the role played by the digital media or social networks in the social construction on diet and food. This study is part of a big project (ESMODA-ECO-RTI2018-099663-B-I00), funded by the Spanish government and FEDER funds from the European Commission.

Presentation type: Visual presentation
Theme: Transformation

Acts of expression and Expressive Objects: Practicing Science as Experience

Author: Megan Halpern – Michigan State University, United States

In this paper, I introduce a model of science communication as experience using examples from my work facilitating collaborations among artists and scientists and developing public engagement events and workshops. These examples illustrate three principles for practicing science as experience: experience is cumulative, context matters, and audiences have agency. I investigate the ways approaching science as experience might inform or transform how scientists and science communicators develop projects. Using Dewey’s theory of aesthetic experience, I discuss what it means to express, rather than explain scientific ideas, and how such expressions lead to meaning-making, rather than information retention. The results of these expressions, which Dewey calls expressive objects, invite audiences reflect and interpret meanings. I focus on how to use the experience model in practice, suggesting a process designed to help practitioners explore science communication as an expressive act. Beginning with what Dewey calls impulsions, deep rooted needs to express something that is personally meaningful, the process builds expression iteratively, through interaction with the world and reflection. By focusing on impulsions and expression, the process reorients the act of communicating science from focusing on what audiences need to know or understand to what we, not as scientists or communicators, but as humans, need to say. This reorientation opens space for the ways audiences interpret science communication messages, and for meanings to emerge from the relationship between the expression and the ways it is experienced.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Insight talk
Theme: Transformation

Connecting science communication with evaluation Representations and practices ranging from lay public to science centers

Author: Carla Morais – University of Porto. Portugal

Co-authors:

  • Teresa Aguiar – Faculdade de Ciàªncias da Universidade do Porto Portugal
  • Luciano Moreira – Faculdade de Ciàªncias da Universidade do Porto Portugal
  • João Paiva – Faculdade de Ciàªncias da Universidade do Porto Portugal
  • Ana Teixeira – Faculdade de Ciàªncias da Universidade do Porto Portugal

We report a study on the social representations of science communication among the audience and in science centers to understand the meanings around the field of science communication and the relations between representations and practices in science centers. A sample of 294 adult participants answered an online word association questionnaire. Prototypical and similitude analyses were conducted with IRAMUTEQ. Also, 10 participants from two Portuguese science centers (including stakeholders, staff, and visitors) were interviewed about their views and practices on science communication and its evaluation. Data were analyzed with NVivo. Results suggest that the public has a poorly structured social representation of science communication. Consisting of diversified and weakly tied ideas, science communication is represented as an important, necessary activity of sharing knowledge, via papers or conferences almost without references to the public and their role in science communication. Similarly, in science centers, science communication is mostly done by researchers, based on communicating factual information, in simple language to enhance the public’s literacy. Science communication evaluation is restrained to obtaining informal feedback without systematic procedures. The science centers representations and practices suggest the prevalence of deficit and contextual models, given the emphasis on factual, although contextualized, scientific content. Representations of science communication in science centers resonate with the public’s poorly structured ideas. The analysis corroborates the need to think of ways to promote audience’s engagement and evaluation practices in science centers. The solution proposed by the I SEA Project, which focuses on deep-sea ecosystems, consists of moving evaluation into the center of the process of communication through a non-invasive procedure, i.e., virtual reality. Hopefully, the integration of communication and evaluation in a unique process, making it relevant for institutions and visitors, will help to promote the adoption of more dialogical models and consolidate the value of science communication within the public.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Visual presentation
Theme: Transformation

Art as Science Communication

Author: Megan Halpern – Michigan State University, United States

Co-authors:

  • Hannah Rogers – University of Strathclyde, United Kingdom

This talk will explore growing interest in the new field of art, science, and technology studies, specifically addressing the role of art in science communication. The authors, two editors of Routledge’s forthcoming International Handbook of Art, Science & Technology Studies, will provide an overview of the Handbook, and will describe several well known spheres where art and science communication intersect. Using both historical and contemporary examples, we will discuss the unique insights to be gained by examining art as science communication. First we will describe how artworks can make arguments about scientific ideas. For example, shifts in the ways artists visually represent objects of scientific interest can make arguments about the nature of objectivity or about evolution. Similarly, contemporary works in bioart and environmental art make arguments about our relationship with technology and with nature. Next, we describe how approaches to art and aesthetics can inform science communication. For example, Dewey’s theory of aesthetic experience can help illuminate the aspects of communication that transcend understanding and explanation, offering a few examples of science communication as an act of expression rather than of explanation. Such a theory foregrounds interpretation and meaning making rather than understanding and attitudes. Finally, we will discuss challenges in the ways art as science communication is often conceptualized. Specifically, many STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math), science communication, and informal learning programs instrumentalize art, expecting it to explicate or decorate science, or to enhance scientific explanations. Such practices may be novel, but ultimately may undermine the process of science communication. Conversely, when art and science communication interact in productive ways, interactions between the two can give rise to questions about the nature of art and of science.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Individual paper
Theme: Transformation

Public understanding of the mathematical aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic

Author: Ayelet Baram-Tsabari – Technion Institute of Technology, Israel

Co-authors:

  • Einat Heyd-Metzuyanim – Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion, Israel
  • Aviv J. Sharon – Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion, Israel

As the COVID-19 pandemic became a top concern worldwide, media coverage became full of information that demands mathematical literacy, or numeracy, to interpret. Rarely have graphs, growth factors, or exponential growth indicators been so central in daily mainstream news outlets and over such a long period. In this study we examine the public’s understanding of mathematical notions that are basic for understanding the pandemic and predicting its spread. In addition, we wish to examine relations between people’s mathematical background, their attitudes towards mathematics and their understanding of the mathematics involved in the COVID-19 pandemic.

We conducted a cross-sectional survey with three components: (1) demographic information, including gender, age, education, occupation and the highest level of mathematics education; (2) attitudes towards mathematics; (3) Mathematics knowledge relevant to the pandemic, including: (3a) de-contextualized mathematics knowledge, such as identifying series of numbers that show linear growth vs. exponential growth, understanding the meanings of exponents etc., and (3b) contextualized mathematical knowledge, including the ability to correctly interpret authentic numbers and graphs of the pandemic used in the mainstream media and social media. The survey was distributed to a representative sample of the Jewish Israeli population (N=439).

Results indicate that the participants’ level of highschool mathematics predicted their success in the mathematical tasks. However, even those that had studied at the highest level did not always interpret correctly the mathematical information presented in the media. Moreover, the strongest predictor for understanding the mathematics in the media was found to be participants’ attitudes towards mathematics, even more than the mathematical knowledge gained in school. These results show that school mathematics, especially in its high levels, may prepare adults to understand critical information important for their wellbeing, such as at a time of a global pandemic. However, mathematical identity may significantly hinder adults’ engagement with such information.

The author has not yet submitted a copy of the full paper.

Presentation type: Individual paper
Theme: Time

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