Date of Award

Spring 5-2025

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Julia Kirk (Chair)

Second Advisor

Keith Carpenter

Third Advisor

Kristy Hutson

Abstract

Scientific misinformation was a major threat to society in the 2020s because individuals often made ill-informed decisions impacting their well-being and the well-being of others. Because of the unique nature of scientific misinformation, key stakeholders advocated for science education to incorporate skills associated with identifying scientific misinformation into science curricula. Despite the call for action, there was little extant research about how high school science teachers addressed and felt about addressing scientific misinformation. Therefore, the purpose of my interpretive qualitative study was to determine Tennessee high school science teachers’ views, challenges, and practices addressing scientific misinformation in the science classroom. I created and distributed a 15-item questionnaire to Tennessee high school science teachers in West, Middle, and East Tennessee. I obtained responses from 33 teachers. I conducted a follow-up interview with four of the questionnaire participants who indicated they had experience addressing scientific misinformation in the science classroom. Through my analysis of the questionnaire and interview items, I determined that Tennessee high school science teachers agreed on the importance of teaching students skills to detect scientific misinformation. However, Tennessee high school science teachers were not systematically incorporating lessons addressing scientific misinformation because they faced time limitations, testing concerns, and curricular restraints. Through this study, I provided valuable data about high school science teachers’ views, challenges, and practices addressing scientific misinformation, which should be used to inform the future of science education.

Keywords

Information Literacy, Media Literacy Education, Misinformation, Misinformation Detection, Science Education, Scientific Misinformation

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