• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.385-399
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• 2001

In this study, the contexts and values of the movement called 'Science and Citizenship' during the 1930-50s are discussed in relation to the historical development of school science education in Britain and to the current STS movement in school science. A special attention is given to the activities and ideas of a then eminent biologist, Lancelot Hogben(1895-1975) who published a textbook-like science book, called "Science for the Citizen"(1938). From the beginning of the 20th century, there was a growing realization that British education system needed to be changed in order to provide school science teaching to a wider audience with more emphasis on the relevance, industrial and humanistic aspects of science. This was echoed by a lecture series called 'Science and Citizenship' which was reported in the School Science Review, then the only nationwide professional journal for science educators and by a group of professional scientists who had socialist ideas toward society. Hogben was one of the key member of the group and delivered the second lecture of 'Science and Citizenship', titled "Biological Instruction and education for Citizenship". Hogben's main idea, illustrated in this lecture as well as in "Science for the Citizen", was that science education should be a way of teaching citizen for promoting democratic society and to achieve that science need to be taught in more integrated, utilitarian and humanistic manners, for example by showing the usefulness, relevance, historical and democratic aspects of science. In addition, a summary of his own life and activities, the social background and socialist scientists of the time, and comparisons between 'Science and Citizenship' movement and the General Science movement in the UK as well as the progressive science education in the USA, and the STS education movement in 1980s are discussed.