3、科学社会学家和采用社会学方法促进科学素养的学者。这个群体的 学者喜欢用社会学的方法研究科学知识的社会建构或者“语境中的知识” (Knowledge in Context)。他们研究日常生活中的个人对科学知识的 解释,科学信息与态度之间的关系,公众对科学的理解的变化规律以及 分辨共识与个别科学观点的差异等;
4、非正规科学教育学者和科学传播学者。这个群体大多数 在科技馆、科学中心、植物园和动物园、媒体等。这个群体 强调的是为公众提供各种机会,通过事物展示和讲解、报道 和撰写科学事件等解释和教育的方式使公众熟悉科学。
国际成人素养方法研究所(International Institute for Adult Literacy Methods)学者托马斯(Thomas)和肯杜(Kindo) 在他们的报告《向科学素养迈进》(Towards Scientific Literacy) 中提出了另一个不同的科学素养的概念。
Miller (2006) uses the following working definition of
scientific literacy for a survey conducted in 2005 in the US and Europe: "A level of understanding sufficient to read science and technology stories written at the level of the New York Times Science Times section or an article in Science et Vie [a French science magazine]." Hazen (2002) makes a distinction between being able to do science and being able to use science. He states that "scientific literacy, quite simply, is a mix of concepts, history, and philosophy that help you understand the scientific issues of our times." Other academics argue for a deeper knowledge of science, but this overview uses the less demanding definitions provided by Miller and Hazen. Carolyn Scearce