Science Education for Responsible Citizenship

In an era marked by global challenges such as digital transformation, social polarization and climate change, science education plays an important role in equipping individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to engage responsibly in society. Science education - spanning formal education in schools, teacher education, higher education, as well as dissemination to society at large - encompasses understanding the nature of science, scientific and technological practices, and disciplinary knowledge in biology, chemistry, physics and earth sciences. At the same time, citizenship education is increasingly recognized as essential for fostering responsible citizenship, democratic participation, solidarity, and resilience against misinformation and radicalization. Despite consensus about the importance of citizenship education, gaps persist between policy intentions and implementation. This collection explores how science education can contribute to responsible citizenship, critical thinking, and informed civic engagement in rapidly changing societies.

The Research Topic “Science Education for Responsible Citizenship” aims to address the urgent need to strengthen the role of science education in fostering responsible citizenship and combating misinformation. Election and referendum disinformation campaigns, climate science denial narratives and rampant misinformation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the vulnerability of democratic societies to distrust and emotional disconnect. Science education, when integrated with citizenship education, can empower learners to critically evaluate information, understand controversial socioscientific issues, and engage in democratic processes. However, current educational systems often lack a coherent framework for integrating these domains, and teacher training remains inconsistent. This collection seeks to bridge disciplinary boundaries and promote inclusion of various stakeholders in education. By showcasing innovative pedagogies, empirical research, and policy analyses, we aim to identify strategies for embedding civic competences and scientific literacy into educational practice. Contributions should explore how science education can support active citizenship, digital literacy, and environmental responsibility, and how educators can be supported in this mission.

We invite contributions that examine the intersection of science education and responsible citizenship education across formal, non-formal, and informal settings. Topics may include:

1. Integration of education for responsible citizenship in science curricula

2. The role of science education in addressing misinformation and digital literacy

3. Participatory pedagogies highlighting socioscientific issues and civic engagement, for example initiatives to engage learners in citizen science projects.

4. Teacher education for science and citizenship

5. Policy analysis and implementation gaps in regional and national contexts

6. Responsible and ethical use of technology including artificial intelligence

We welcome original research articles, theoretical papers, case studies, reviews, and policy commentaries. Manuscripts should address science education as defined broadly - covering disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge, innovative pedagogies and methods of science education, nature of science, and scientific practices - that are linked to civic competences, democratic participation, and global awareness. Contributions from interdisciplinary teams and diverse educational contexts are encouraged.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Conceptual Analysis
• Curriculum, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Scientific education, Citizenship education, Democratic participation, Combating misinformation, Critical Thinking, Socioscientific Issues

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.