Making science more prosocial makes it more inclusive and enjoyable.

• Though they may not initially perceive science as prosocial, studies show that students from groups underrepresented in science—from elementary school girls to first-generation and ethnically-marginalized college students—show significantly more interest in science when they perceive it as having the potential to help people and give back to their communities.
• Even as young as kindergarten, positive teacher interactions around science lead children to like science more and see themselves as more competent in it.

Cooperation enhances science interest and learning.

• When students see science as collaborative, they are more intrinsically interested in it and motivated to study it; this is true for students in general, but especially so for groups underrepresented in the STEM pipeline, such as female and first-generation students.
• Using prosocial practices like cooperative problem solving and reflection can have benefits for both students’ learning and their social-emotional skills.

Science can help students become more informed and engaged citizens.

• Scientific literacy and character can work hand-in-hand to promote responsible decision-making in society. As students learn scientific principles and habits of mind, such as seeking and evaluating evidence, they also have the chance to build character by challenging their own biases and working with others to find solutions.
• Instead of focusing on de-contextualized knowledge, science education can empower students as citizens to understand and participate in decisions about the ways science and technology are used in society.
• Especially when science is situated in local community issues, it is more likely to engage marginalized students and enable progress towards justice.

Discussing science in the context of social issues can help students become more morally sensitive and compassionate.

• “Socio-scientific issues,” or SSIs, are controversial scientific issues with profound social implications. SSI-based science curricula often involve explicit consideration of the personal, local/national, and global aspects of the issues, as well as open discussions or debates among students.
• Research indicates that teaching science in this way—with middle schoolers, high schoolers, or even pre-service teachers—can help students feel more sensitive to the moral side of scientific issues, more compassionate towards the diverse groups of people affected by the issues, and more responsible for taking action around the issues.
• However, students may struggle to feel that they can actually make a difference, so teachers should incorporate accessible ways of taking action and making changes in everyday life.