How do Australians engage with science?

A national survey on Australians’ engagement with science has found that the majority have extremely positive attitudes about science and technology, though they’re not always clear about the details.

The survey of 1020 Australian adults was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs and designed by Dr Suzette Searle, who is based at the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science at The Australian National University (ANU). The aim of the research was to provide a nationally representative baseline of Australian attitudes towards, and behaviours related to, science and technology that could then be used to monitor any changes over time.

The survey found that most participants regard science as important to helping society. The statement “Science is very important to solving many of the problems facing us as a society today” received a mean rating of 8 out of 10. The statement “Scientific research makes a direct contribution to economic growth in Australia” meanwhile received a mean rating of 7.4.

Australians also have frequent engagement with science and technology, with 82% having watched, listened or read something to do with science or technology at least fortnightly in the last year. Around two-thirds expressed interest in science and technology related topics, and half indicated that there are things they would like to know more about with regards to science and technology.

When it comes to seeking out information, the numbers drop a bit, with 46% and 44% having sought information about science and technology, respectively, at least fortnightly in the past year. The internet was the most popular initial source of information and the most commonly mentioned. Only 31% and 40% felt the media provided them with enough information about science and technology respectively, and only 49% could name an Australian achievement in science and technology.

Respondents claimed to have a good understanding of the information they found. Most reported that the information was generally easy to understand (67% for scientific information, 73% for technological information); 23% said the scientific information they found was generally hard to understand; and 17% said the same about the technological information they found.

Respondents had a mixed attitude when it came to who they trust for accurate information. When asked unprompted, friends and family and CSIRO (12% each) were the most commonly mentioned trusted sources. A significant 21% did not know who to trust, while 9% did not trust anyone. When presented with a list of different types of people, scientists were most trusted to explain the scientific or technological advances, ranking higher than radio talkback hosts, politicians or religious leaders.

Finally, participants ranked careers in science highly, with 88% believing a career in science is a good choice. When participants were asked how important professions were in terms of contributing positively to society, doctors were ranked the highest (75% stating they were very or quite important), then teachers (69%) followed by scientists (60%).

“The findings of this survey are important because Australians are telling us that they value the role of scientists, science and technology in our society,” said Dr Searle.

“It’s clear that most Australians think scientific research makes an important contribution to the economy, that they see careers in science as good careers, that they engage with information about science and technology frequently and recognise science and technology as part of everyday life.”

The report ‘How do Australians engage with science?’ can be found here.