Research & Working Papers 2013

Probing the Peoples Thought Complex

Rajesh Shukla , Gauhar Raza , Surjit Singh

Research Paper | The Journal of Higher Education

Public Understanding of Science is an area constituted by those scholars who essentially acquired expertise in various established academic disciplines and shifted their attention towards a few specific issues related to the science-society interface. The discipline though recognised as a legitimate area of research has not come out of all its teething problems associated with the formation of any new area. The mainstay during the first phase of its development were the attitudinal surveys conducted in various countries. The objectives of these surveys were to measure the extent of scientific knowledge, probe public attitude towards science or scientists, and at times simply to explore the level of confidence or lack of confidence that a common citizen had in science. These surveys gradually turned into an important and regular activity in many countries.