Percepción por los estudiantes de la divulgación científica en la prensa y de su contribución a la cultura científica

Abstract

Introduction. This study presents and evaluates a formative exercise about the potential role of the press in scientific diffusion and in the social appropriation of science. Subjects and methods. 161 students participated in the study distributed in groups of five or six to perform the proposed assignments in a seminar form. Medicine and science articles published in national and regional newspapers were selected by the students to identify specific medical and scientific terms and to have their own opinion to agree with the statement: ‘the weakness of Spanish scientific culture is due to its limited diffusion’. Results. 103 articles were selected and 294 terms identified, most of them related with diseases and only six with natural sciences. All groups agree with the low scientific culture of the Spanish people. A 61.29% attributed this to scarce scientific communication, whereas the other 38.71% considered that scientific diffusion is adequate due to there is enough information in newspapers and magazines besides television and Internet. Conclusion. There was no unanimity about the causes of scientific backwardness. However, most students agree that it could be attributed to the little interest of Government authorities and other people in promoting science and scientific culture, what in the end is reflected also in curricula. In this study, the interest and personal motivation of each student may explain the different views between them.