Students Need More than Content Knowledge To Counter Vaccine Hesitancy

Area of Science:

• Biology Education
• Socioscientific Issues
• Science Communication

Background:

• Informed citizenship requires evaluating scientific data relevant to real-world scenarios.
• Socioscientific issues are complex, debatable topics demanding integration of knowledge and context.
• Incorporating these issues into curricula can foster critical argumentation skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between undergraduate students' biological content knowledge and their argumentation skills.
• To assess students' ability to apply knowledge of mRNA vaccine development and clinical trials to real-world contexts.

Main Methods:

• Evaluated students' content knowledge regarding primary research articles on mRNA vaccine development.
• Assessed students' argumentation skills in the context of socioscientific issues related to vaccines.
• Analyzed the correlation between content knowledge and argumentation effectiveness in countering vaccine hesitancy.

Main Results:

• No significant correlation was found between biological content knowledge and argumentation skills concerning vaccine hesitancy.
• Most students understood the primary research articles on mRNA vaccines.
• Nearly half of the students failed to integrate specific biological knowledge into their arguments, indicating a gap in application.

Conclusions:

• Students demonstrate a need for more opportunities to practice applying biological knowledge within socioscientific contexts.
• Developing argumentation skills is essential for translating scientific understanding into real-world decision-making.
• Curricula should emphasize bridging the gap between content knowledge and practical application for informed citizenship.