Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

German Teachers’ Views on Promoting Scientific Media Literacy Using Advertising in the Science Classroom

  • Published:
International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A large part of the media landscape surrounding us consists of advertising. Therefore, skills for critically coping with advertising are indispensable. Students need to develop such skills for evaluating messages and facts from advertisements. They also need to learn about the mechanisms behind how advertisements are created and used to influence the public. Today, advertising for many products has a strong scientific component. However, learning with and about advertising does not play a prominent role in school science education. To date, advertising is almost exclusively discussed and evaluated within the humanities and social sciences, especially language education. The scientific components of advertising are not taken into account in these subjects. Engaged science teachers might prove to be the key to innovation when it comes to media education in the science classroom. This study explores both the opinions of German science teachers on the importance of scientific media literacy and their attitudes to implementing teaching units covering advertising in their science classes. Semistructured interviews with 12 secondary science teachers were conducted and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Two main types of teachers were identified, who have completely different views towards learning with and about advertising in science education.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alexander, J., Walsh, P., Jarman, R. & McClune, B. (2008). From rhetoric to reality: Advancing literacy by cross-curricular means. Curriculum Journal, 19(1), 23–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, R. & Helms, J. V. (2001). The ideal of standards and the reality of schools: Needed research. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 38(1), 3–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Belova, N. & Eilks, I. (2014). Promoting societal-oriented communication and decision making skills by learning about advertising in science education. Centre for Educational Policy Studies Journal, 4(1), 32–49.

  • Biddle, B. J. & Anderson, D. S. (1986). Theory, methods, knowledge and research on teaching. In M. C. Wittrock (Ed.), Handbook of research on teaching (3rd ed., pp. 230–252). New York, NY: Macmillan.

  • Brucks, M., Armstrong, G. M. & Goldberg, M. E. (1988). Children’s use of cognitive defenses against television advertising: A cognitive response approach. Journal of Consumer Research, 14(4), 471–482.

  • Buckingham, D. (2003). Media education: Literacy, learning and contemporary culture. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Polity.

  • Burrows, W. R. (1997). The great paper towel race. Science Activities, 34(3), 32–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bybee, R. W. (1997). Toward an understanding of scientific literacy. In W. Gräber & C. Bolte (Eds.), Scientific literacy—An international symposium (pp. 37–68). Kiel, Germany: IPN.

  • Byrd-Bredbenner, C. (2002). Saturday morning children’s television advertising: A longitudinal content analysis. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 30, 382–403.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang Rundgren, S.-N. & Rundgren, C.-J. (2014). SSI pedagogic discourse: Embracing scientific media literacy and ESD to face the multimedia world. In I. Eilks, S. Markic & B. Ralle (Eds.), Science education research and education for sustainable development (pp. 157–168). Aachen, Germany: Shaker.

  • Cohen, J. (1960). A coefficient of agreement for nominal scales. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 20(1), 37–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Constandinidou‐Semoglou, O. (2007). Early childhood education and adult‐oriented advertising discourse. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 15(3), 329–341.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, E. & Kirkpatrick, D. (2002). It’s all in the news: Critiquing evidence and claims. Science Scope, 25(5), 32–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eilks, I., Nielsen, J. A. & Hofstein, A. (2014). Learning about the role of science in public debate as an essential component of scientific literacy. In A. Tiberghien, C. Bruguière, P. Clément (Eds.), Topics and trends in current science education (pp. 85–100). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer.

  • Elmose, S. & Roth, W.-M. (2005). Allgemeinbildung: Readiness for living in a risk society. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 37(1), 11–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friestad, P. M. & Wright, P. (1994). The persuasion knowledge model: How people cope with persuasion attempts. Journal of Consumer Research, 21(1), 1–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haney, J. J., Czerniak, C. M. & Lumpe, A. T. (1996). Teacher beliefs and intentions regarding the implementation of science education reform strands. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 33(9), 971–993.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hanuscin, D. (2002). Names and claims: Is it science or spin? Science Scope, 25(6), 36–38.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hattie, J. A. C. (2009). Visible learning. A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. London, England: Routledge.

  • Hobbs, R. (2003). Understanding teachers’ experiences with media literacy in the classroom. In B. Duncan & K. Tyner (Eds.), Visions/revisions: Moving forward with media education (pp. 100–108). Madison, WI: National Telemedia Council.

  • Hofstein, A., Eilks, I. & Bybee, R. (2011). Societal issues and their importance for contemporary science education: a pedagogical justification and the state of the art in Israel, Germany and the USA. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 9, 1459–1483.

  • Holbrook, J. & Rannikmäe, M. (2007). The nature of science education for enhancing scientific literacy. International Journal of Science Education, 29(11), 1347–1362.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jarman, R. & McClune, B. (2001). Use the news: A study of secondary teachers’ use of newspapers in the science classroom. Journal of Biological Education, 35(2), 69–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jarman, R. & McClune, B. (2002). A survey of the use of newspapers in science instruction by secondary teachers in Northern Ireland. International Journal of Science Education, 24(10), 997–1020.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • John, D. R. (1999). Consumer socialization of children: A retrospective look at twenty-five years of research. Journal of Consumer Research, 26(3), 183–213.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kachan, M. R., Guilbert, S. M. & Bisanz, G. L. (2006). Do teachers ask students to read news in secondary science? Evidence from the Canadian Context Science Education, 90(3), 496–521.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahn, S. (2005). Savvy consumers through science. Science and Children, 42(6), 30–34.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klafki, W. (2000). The significance of classical theories of Bildung for a contemporary concept of Allgemeinbildung. In I. Westbury, S. Hopmann & K. Riquarts (Eds.), Teaching as a reflective practice: The German Didaktik tradition (pp. 85–108). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

  • Klosterman, M. L., Sadler, T. D. & Brown, J. (2012). Science teachers’ use of mass media to address socio-scientific and sustainability issues. Research in Science Education, 42(1), 51–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • KMK. (2004). Bildungsstandards im Fach Biologie/Chemie/Physik für den Mittleren Bildungsabschluss [Educational Standards in Biology / Chemistry / Physics for the Middle education]. München, Germany: Luchterhand.

  • Laugksch, R. C. (2000). Scientific literacy: A conceptual overview. Science Education, 84(1), 71–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lauri, M. A., Borg, J., Günnel, T. & Gillum, R. (2010). Attitudes of a sample of English, Maltese and German teachers towards media education. European Journal of Teacher Education, 33(1), 79–98.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, M.-K. & Erdogan, I. (2007). The effect of science–technology–society teaching on students’ attitudes toward science and certain aspects of creativity. International Journal of Science Education, 29(11), 1315–1328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Livingstone, S. & Helsper, E. J. (2006). Does advertising literacy mediate the effects of advertising on children? A critical examination of two linked research literatures in relation to obesity and food choice. Journal of Communication, 56(3), 560–584.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marks, R., Otten, J. & Eilks, I. (2010). Writing news spots about chemistry – A way to promote students’ competencies in communication and evaluation. School Science Review, 92(339), 99–108.

  • Marks, R., Stuckey, M., Belova, N. & Eilks, I. (2014). The societal dimension in German science education – From the tradition to selected cases and recent developments. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 10(4), 285–296.

  • Mayring, P. (2000). Qualitative content analysis. Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 1(2). Retrieved from http://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/1089/2386. Accessed 17 Oct 2014.

  • McClune, B. & Jarman, R. (2012). Encouraging and equipping students to engage critically with science in the news: What can we learn from the literature? Studies in Science Education, 48(1), 1–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McSharry, G. & Jones, S. (2002). Television programming and advertisements: Help or hindrance to effective science education? International Journal of Science Education, 24(5), 487–497.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nisbet, M. C., Scheufele, D. A., Shanahan, J., Moy, P., Brossard, D. & Lewenstein, B. V. (2002). Knowledge, reservations or promise? A media effects model for public perceptions of science and technology. Communication Research, 29, 584–608.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Organisation for EconomicCo-operation and Development (2006). Assessing scientific, reading and mathematical literacy. Paris, France: Author.

  • Palmer, E. L. & McDowell, C. N. (1979). Program/commercial separators in children’s television programming. Journal of Communication, 29(3), 197–201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patton, M. Q. (1990). Qualitative sampling and research methods. London, England: Sage.

  • Pitrelli, N., Manzoli, F. & Montolli, B. (2006). Science in advertising: Uses and consumptions in the Italian press. Public Understanding of Science, 15(2), 207–220.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poon, C., Toh, F. & Tan, A. (2010). Bees in the news: Connecting classroom science to real-life issues. Science Scope, 33(9), 64–67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rajagopal, A. (2006). Brand excellence: Measuring the impact of advertising and brand personality on buying decisions. Measuring Business Excellence, 10(3), 56–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reeve, S. L. (2002). Beyond the textbook. Science Scope, 25(6), 4–6.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, D. A. (2007). Scientific literacy/science literacy. In S. K. Abell & N. G. Lederman (Eds.), Handbook of research in science education (pp. 729–780). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

  • Rozendaal, E., Buijzen, M. & Valkenburg, P. M. (2009). Do children’s cognitive defenses reduce their desire for advertised products? Communications: The European Journal of Communication Research, 34(3), 287–303.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rozendaal, E., Buijzen, M. & Valkenburg, P. M. (2012). Think-aloud process superior to thought-listing in increasing children’s critical processing of advertising. Human Communication Research, 38(2), 199–221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rundgren, C.-J., Chang-Rundgren, S.-N., Tseng, Y.-H., Lin, P.-L. & Chang, C.-Y. (2012). Are you SLiM?—Developing an instrument for civic scientific literacy measurement (SLiM) based on media coverage. Public Understanding of Science, 21(6), 759–773.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sjöström, J. (2013). Towards Bildung-oriented chemistry education. Science & Education, 22(7), 1873–1890.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stolz, M., Witteck, T., Marks, R. & Eilks, I. (2013). Reflecting socio-scientific issues for Science education coming from the case of curriculum development on doping in chemistry education. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 9(4), 361–370.

  • Stuckey, M., Lippel, M. & Eilks, I. (2012). Sweet chemistry: Learning about natural and artificial sweetening substances and advertising in chemistry lessons. Chemistry in Action, 98, 36–43.

  • Stuckey, M., Hofstein, A., Mamlok-Naaman, R. & Eilks, I. (2013). The meaning of ‘relevance’ in science education and its implications for the science curriculum. Studies in Science Education, 49(1), 1–34.

  • Stuckey, M., Heering, P., Mamlok-Naaman, R., Hofstein, A. & Eilks, I. (2015). The philosophical works of Ludwik Fleck and their potential meaning for teaching and learning science. Science & Education, 24(3), 281–298.

  • Swanborn, P. G. (1996). A common base for quality control criteria in quantitative and qualitative research. Quality and Quantity, 30(1), 19–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thomas, K. M., O’Bannon, B. W. & Bolton, N. (2013). Cell phones in the classroom: Teachers’ perspectives of inclusion, benefits and barriers. Computers in the Classroom, 30(4), 295–308.

    Google Scholar 

  • Timmerman, B. (2002). Keeping science current. Science Scope, 25(6), 12–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trigwell, K., Prosser, M. & Taylor, P. (1994). Qualitative differences in approaches to teaching first year university science. Higher Education, 27(1), 75–84.

  • United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2011). Media and information literacy. Curriculum for teachers. Retrieved from http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0019/001929/192971e.pdf. Accessed 5 Oct 2014.

  • Van Driel, J., Bulte, A. M. W. & Verloop, N. (2007). The relationships between teachers’ general beliefs about teaching and learning and their domain specific curricular beliefs. Learning and Instruction, 17(2), 156–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Villani, S. (2001). Impact of media on children and adolescents: A 10-year review of the research. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 40(4), 392–401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ware, S. A. (2001). Teaching chemistry from a societal perspective. Pure and Applied Chemistry, 73(7), 1209–1214.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology and Chemistry, Institute of Science Education (IDN), Didactics of Chemistry, University of Bremen, Leobener Straße NW2, 28334, Bremen, Germany

    Nadja Belova & Ingo Eilks

Authors
  1. Nadja Belova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ingo Eilks
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nadja Belova.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Belova, N., Eilks, I. German Teachers’ Views on Promoting Scientific Media Literacy Using Advertising in the Science Classroom. Int J of Sci and Math Educ 14, 1233–1254 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-015-9650-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-015-9650-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation