Measuring Science Literacy in a Digital World: Development and Validation of a Multi-Dimensional Survey Scale
Mede, Niels G.; Howell, Emily L.; Schäfer, Mike S.; Metag, Julia; Beets, Becca; Brossard, Dominique
Research article (journal) | Peer reviewedAbstract
We present a new multilingual 14-item scale for measuring science literacy in survey and experimental research. The scale captures three essential dimensions of science literacy in a digital world: civic science literacy, science media literacy, and cognitive science literacy. We developed, tested, and validated the scale through two preregistered national quota surveys in Switzerland and the United States in four languages (English, German, French, Italian). Iterative factor analyses, Bayesian Item Response Theory analyses, and validity tests confirm robustness and reliability of the scale.
Details about the publication
Journal: Science Communication
Volume: 0
Page range: 1-35
Status: Published
Release year: 2025 (25/02/2025)
Language in which the publication is written: English
Link to the full text: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/10755470251317379
Keywords: scientific literacy; skills; knowledge; science in society; public understanding of science; methodology; survey
Authors from the University of Münster
| Metag, Julia | Professorship for communication science |