Students, science and scientism: a story about resistance

The article takes a worldview perspective and discusses students, science and scientism with the starting point in empirical data. The aim is to shed light on the kinds of worldviews students associate with science, and how these worldviews are related to the worldviews of the students. Data consist of answers to a questionnaire (N=47) and interviews (N=26) with upper secondary students. The results show that it is common that students associate science with scientism. A possible consequence if science teaching communicate an image of science which the students interpret as science being connected to scientism, is that the teaching of science functions as a way to socialize/indoctrinate students into scientism. However the results show that many students are resisting indoctrination into scientism. These students describe their own views in ways that differ from the ones they associate with science. E.g. students frequently associate science with scientism, but state that they themselves do not agree with these kinds of views. The results are also discussed in relation to students’ identity and inclusion/exclusion in relation to science teaching.