Students' awareness and conceptions of science-related communication mechanisms on social media

authored by: Andreas Nehring, Soraya Kresin, Kerstin Hildegard Kremer, Alexander Georg Büssing
Abstract: The rise of social media platforms and subsequent lack of traditional gatekeeping mechanisms have enabled the proliferation of scientific disinformation. Users attempting to properly evaluate scientific information and disinformation are immensely obstructed by media communication mechanisms such as filter bubbles and echo chambers. Given the recent approaches to reconceptualizing the nature of science represented by facets of media communication mechanisms, we report results from seven focus groups of 26 tenth-grade students (M = 15 years; 58% female, 38% male, 4% nonbinary) investigating such mechanisms as applied to climate change content on social media. Using qualitative content analysis, we identified the students' awareness and conceptions of mechanisms such as filter bubbles and echo chambers on a continuum between rather simple and elaborate. The findings suggest that the students have a general awareness of most mechanisms based on their own experiences and describe additional media communication mechanisms, such as bots, microtargeting, and, particularly, algorithms, which appear specifically relevant in dealing with scientific disinformation on social media. Based on the results, we derive a set of needs for science educational learning materials and science media literacy to prepare students to tackle scientific disinformation on social media.
Organisation(s): Chemistry Education Section
Biology Education Section
External Organisation(s): Technische Universität Braunschweig
Justus Liebig University Giessen
Type: Article
Journal: Journal of Research in Science Teaching
ISSN: 0022-4308
Publication date: 29.07.2024
Publication status: E-pub ahead of print
Peer reviewed: Yes
ASJC Scopus subject areas: Education
Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 13 - Climate Action
Electronic version(s): https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21973 (Access: Open)