The Influence of Science Knowledge and Moral Sensitivity on Socioscientific Reasoning among form Four Students

Abstract

Socioscientific reasoning  is a process of making scientific judgments along with moral justification  involving issues in science and society. This study aims to identify the level of Science Knowledge, Moral Sensitivity and Socioscientific Reasoning of secondary school students using Statistical  Packages for Social Sciences 25.0 (SPSS) software. It also aims to identify the influence of Science Knowledge and Moral Sensitivity  on Socioscientific Reasoning. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS SEM ) technique is applied using SmartPLS 4.0 software. A total of 307 Form Four students from boarding school (Sekolah Berasrama Penuh, SBP) in Negeri Sembilan had been randomly selected to answer a survey consisting of four sections, namely demography section, a multiple-choice Science Knowledge test, a  short structured Moral Sensitivity test and a  multiple choice Socioscientific Reasoning test. The findings of the study show that students' Science Knowledge and Socioscientific Reasoning are at a moderate level while Moral Sensitivity level  is high.  PLS SEM structural equation model analysis shows that  Science Knowledge influence Socioscientific Reasoning the most whereas  Moral Sensitivity shows weak influence towards Socioscientific Reasoning.  The findings of this study implies that  teachers in schools should discuss socioscientific issues not only from scientific perspective but also in  a more holistic way by including moral value aspect. This move is crucial in order to promote science literacy  so that students will be able to apply their  science knowledge  to solve problems in  daily lives.