'It's still science but not like normal science': girls' responses to the teaching of socio-scientific issues.

Socio-scientific issues, which are often controversial, involve the use of science and are of interest to society, raising ethical and moral dilemmas. Examples of these issues could include genetic technology or air pollution. Following a curriculum reform in England in 2006, socio-scientific issues now have a heightened presence in the 14-16 science curriculum. This article reports on the findings of a study that used the context of this reform to explore how girls are responding to the teaching of socio-scientific issues. It shows how girls within one school had diverse responses to lessons that included these types of issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]