Science Literacy Surveys
Canadians believe science is needed to solve critical world issues, survey finds
The Ontario Science Centre’s Science Literacy Survey reveals optimism in the role that science and technology can play in solving humanity’s greatest challenges and in improving lives around the world. Results from the 2018 survey show that 74% of Canadians believe that science and technology will play a major role in solving our planet’s most pressing issues.
Highlights:
- 83% of Canadians want to learn more about science and how it affects our world
- 81% agree that most people don’t understand the impact of science on their everyday lives
- 74% agree that critical challenges facing the world will need to be solved by science and technology
- 54% believe that society is turning away from science in favour of ideas that lack evidence or data
Science centres, being among the most trusted sources of accurate information (90%), are called on to play a vital role in helping Canadians understand, engage with and use scientific knowledge in their day-to-day lives.
Initiatives such as the Science Literacy Survey provide important insight into the beliefs and attitudes that Canadians hold towards science and technology.
For full survey results, please visit:
Methodology
An online survey of 1,501 Canadians was completed between June 18 and June 26, 2018, using Leger’s online panel. The margin of error for this study was +/-2.5%, 19 times out of 20.