Developing Scientific Literacy in Biology at Secondary Schools in Chile

The Ministry of Education (MINEDUC) in Chile has chosen new directions to improve science education. This study, therefore, comprises an analysis of scientific literacy in biology, measuring these levels in students (n = 612) who attended secondary education (11th grade), and their attitudes towards science in the Bio - Bio region, through validated and adapted tests (TOSLS and TOSRA). Additionally, the perception of biology teachers (n = 21) and policymakers (n = 4) who are related to the school system in this region is measured by semi-structured interviews to understand their perceptions of science education in the country. Descriptive and inferential analyses such as Chi-square, IRT, Kolmogorov-Smirnov & Shapiro-Wilk tests, and Spearman correlation were conducted, including coding the semi-structured interviews to unveil the perceptions from biology teachers and politicians. The outcomes of secondary students showed that the two questionnaires were almost independent because there is a weak positive relationship between the achievement of scientific literacy in biology and students’ attitudes towards science. Most of these students show no significant differences in scientific literacy by gender and age in biological literacy, but differences can be observed in socioeconomic status, with a clear tendency to the structural and functional levels. The findings from the biology teachers and policymakers indicate that science education programs do not support the development of scientific literacy, including biological literacy. Other topics related to teacher training sessions and inequalities between the types of schools are commented based on their praxis. Moreover, the politicians exhibited discrepancies about educational contexts, resources, school infrastructure, funding, the type of school, barriers and segregation in education based on their legislative tendency. Thus, research into these topics in Latin America has a significant value to bring an education based on sustainable development for responsible and active citizens in the current society.