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Assessment of Achievement Programme: Report of the Sixth AAP Survey of Science (2003)

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Assessment of Achievement Programme: Report of the Sixth AAP Survey of Science (2003)

Appendix E: Pupils' views about topical issues in science and technology

Table E.1 Awareness of topical issues in science and technology

(% pupils claiming to 'have heard of' the topic in question*)

Topic	P5	P7	S2
The internet	97	99	99
Cancer research		96	98
Weapons of mass destruction		90	95
Global warming	63	76	96
DNA			96
Cosmetic surgery		74	91
Organ donation		70	92
Robotics		70
Space exploration	68
Nuclear power	63
Genetically modified foods		21	59
Designer babies		42	47

* Between 86 and 288 pupils at each stage responded

in terms of each of the various issues

Table E.2 Pupils' topic interests

(% pupils giving each response among those claiming awareness)

Topic	Stage	'Aware' pupils	Yes	Don't know	No
The Internet	S2	109	84	13	3
	P7	159	80	16	4
	P5	184	75	10	15
Cancer research	S2	110	69	14	17
Cancer research	P7	124	64	18	18
WMD	S2	83	64	10	26
WMD	P7	126	47	18	35
Global warming	S2	111	39	30	31
	P7	119	47	29	24
	P5	180	41	37	22
DNA	S2	103	34	20	46
Cosmetic surgery	S2	78	32	12	56
Cosmetic surgery	P7	104	19	17	64
Organ donation	S2	99	47	16	37
Organ donation	P7	110	41	18	41
Robotics	P7	97	50	14	36
Space exploration	P5	132	61	25	14
Nuclear power	P5	179	50	21	29
GM Foods	S2	51	20	35	45
GM Foods	P7	26	23	27	50
Designer babies	S2	54	31	21	48
Designer babies	P7	54	30	16	54

Table E.3 Pupils' opinions about societal value

(% pupils giving each response among those claiming awareness)

Topic	Stage	'Aware' pupils	Good	Unsure	Bad
The Internet	S2	109	78	17	5
	P7	159	70	27	3
	P5	184	64	29	7
Cancer research	S2	110	84	14	2
Cancer research	P7	124	89	11	0
WMD	S2	83	7	12	81
WMD	P7	126	1	17	82
Global warming	S2	111	10	33	57
	P7	119	5	35	60
	P5	180	19	50	31
DNA	S2	103	48	49	3
Cosmetic surgery	S2	78	25	60	15
Cosmetic surgery	P7	104	11	62	27
Organ donation	S2	99	72	25	3
Organ donation	P7	110	70	27	3
Robotics	P7	97	60	38	2
Space exploration	P5	132	60	33	7
Nuclear power	P5	179	32	51	17
GM Foods	S2	51	16	56	28
GM Foods	P7	26	15	54	31
Designer babies	S2	54	9	51	40
Designer babies	P7	54	24	50	26

Table E.4 Pupils' reasons for their judgments

(% pupils offering reasons among those giving each judgment, and among the reasons the proportions suggesting an informed attitude)

	'Aware' pupils responding			% offering a reason for		% reasons 'informed'*
Topic	Stage	'Good'	'Bad'	ï¾"Good'	'Bad'	'Good'	'Bad'
The Internet	S2	86	4	99	100	93
	P7	112	4	96	100	93
	P5	118	12	92	92	81	36
Cancer research	S2	97	0	92		93
Cancer research	P7	110	0	92		91
WMD	S2	5	68	100	93		90
WMD	P7	1	103	100	93		95
Global warming	S2	10	65	80	86		88
	P7	6	71	83	93		88
	P5	34	55	91	89	0	80
DNA	S2	50	3	94	33	57
Cosmetic surgery	S2	19	12	100	100	68	50
Cosmetic surgery	P7	12	28	92	93	64	23
Organ donation	S2	71	3	96	100	93
Organ donation	P7	77	3	91	100	93
Robotics	P7	58	2	91	100	57
Space exploration	P5	79	9	92	100	37
Nuclear power	P5	58	30	86	83	24	72
GM Foods	S2	8	14	100	100		36
GM Foods	P7	4	8	100	88
Designer babies	S2	5	22	80	91		22
Designer babies	P7	13	14	92	93	0	23

* Proportion given where at least 10 pupils offered a reason for their judgment

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