The RRI map: making sense of responsible research and innovation in science education

Abstract

Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) has attracted the interest of educational researchers in an attempt to see how teaching RRI can be introduced into education. The literature has focused on how to link the RRI framework to the specific field of science education in comprehensive school and upper secondary school. While explicit connections with existing philosophies of science education (Nature of Science, Inquiry-Based Learning, Socio-Scientific Issues, Citizenship Education) have been brought out, we still lack a more comprehensive and less fragmented picture. To overcome fragmentation and gain a coherent view of RRI in science education, in this article we provide what we call the RRI Map. We identify three main activities which teachers can engage learners in to relate to teaching science responsibly. Such activities are (1) making sense of the scientific enterprise, (2) taking action to face challenges by making use of scientific knowledge and (3) exploring theoretical possibilities.