Science Culture in the Muslim World and Its Implications for Pedagogy and Policy–An Educational Approach (Joining virtually)

“Science culture” and “scientific literacy” are important but largely under-studied areas that have crucial implications for both education (curricula and pedagogy) and policy-making and policy implementation in the Muslim world and beyond.

We led an effort to assess the state of science culture and scientific literacy in the Muslim world both qualitatively and quantitatively by coordinating a Task Force on the Culture of Science in the Muslim World between 2017 and 2019. The Task Force assembled a group of scholars - scientists, policymakers, educationists, communicators, and journalists, who wrote essays on various aspects of the topic. The Task Force also conducted an online survey of scientific literacy and science culture in the Muslim world; it was completed by over 3500 respondents (in three languages - English, Arabic, and Urdu) to fuel and substantiate the views of the Task Force members. The essays, the survey results, the analyses, and a general overview constituted the report from the Task Force.

This paper presents a brief overview of the conclusions that were drawn from the work of the Task Force.

The general results of the science literacy part of the survey showed that the average respondent scored at least as high as the average of many OCED countries where such surveys are routinely conducted. Since our (online) audience is not random and is likely to represent more scientifically literate and well-connected individuals, we must conclude that this represents an upper bound on science literacy. In terms of 'attitudes towards science' the survey found a very interesting trend: those who filled the survey in their native language (Arabic or Urdu) were likely to hold more extreme positions than those who filled the survey in English.

Finally, on the science 'culture' part, which was measured via a set of statements designed to probe the extent to which respondents internalised the true essence of science (its goals and methods), we found some even more dramatic effects of the language in which the respondents took the survey: those who answered the survey in English (not their native language) had a diametrically opposite view to those who did that in Urdu/Arabic (their native language). This is quite an unexpected result and, if validated by additional studies, will have far-reaching consequences for both science education and media in the Muslim World.

Specifically, we believe that what the study captured are differences in the quality of education and exposure of these two populations within the Muslim World: - one, those who are well-educated, master the English language, and are conversant with English-speaking (scientific) media seem to understand the nature of science, and two, those who are educated in local languages and consume mostly local-language media and seem to misunderstand science and develop more extreme views on it. It is also worth noting here that, other than the language in which the survey was attempted, no other characteristic (education, wealth, etc.) seem to make much of a difference in measures of science literacy, attitudes, and culture.

These findings are preliminary at best and need to be properly evaluated and validated through more representative and rigorous surveys. However, at face value, this study’s results may have momentous implications for both education and media policy in the Muslim World as they imply our inability to communicate important scientific ideas and methods through local language educational and/or media content. This necessitates a deeper understanding and appreciation of what gets consumed in English and Arabic/Urdu language science classrooms and media and how to fix it.

Professor Nidhal Guessoum received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in Physics/Astrophysics from the University of California at San Diego and spent two years as a post-doctoral researcher at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. He has conducted research at several top centers in the USA and France, participated in dozens of conferences worldwide, and published over a hundred papers in major international journals. He has been at the American University of Sharjah, UAE, since 2000, where he has served as chair of the Physics Department, Associate Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, President of the Faculty Senate, and other roles. In 2022, he was named the Sheikha Nama Majid Al Qassimi Endowed Chair in Education Across Disciplines at the American University of Sharjah, UAE. Prof. Guessoum is the author of several books, including Islam’s Quantum Question: Reconciling Muslim Tradition and Modern Science (London: IB Tauris, 2010); The Story of the Universe (Arabic); The Determination of Lunar Crescent Months and the Islamic Calendar, and The Young Muslim’s Guide to Modern Science (Manchester, UK: Beacon Books, 2018). He has also co-edited two conference proceedings volumes on Islamic Astronomy (English and Arabic).

Dr. Athar Osama is the Founder and Executive Director of World Science Collaborative Ltd–a non-profit dedicated to the promotion of science in the developing world. He is also the founder and convenor of the Muslim-Science.com Task Forces Initiative aimed at creating a conversation within the Muslim World on issues at the intersection science, society, and Islam which has produced 3 reports on Science at Universities (2015), Science and Islam (2016), and Culture of Science (2020). Dr. Osama is also the Principal Investigator of Holistic Science Teaching Project–an ambitious attempt to transform teaching of science in Muslim Classrooms. Dr. Osama holds a PhD in public policy focusing on science and innovation policy from Pardee- RAND Graduate School from Santa Monica, CA. Most recently, he was a Senior Science Advisor as Member (Science and ICT) at the Planning Commission for the Government of Pakistan. He is a Fellow of the NY-based World Technology Network (2011) and a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum (2013-2019).