Factors critical for the growth of science in a society

The purpose of this paper is to sensitize all stakeholders in Science Education in Ghana to the level of scientific literacy in the country through a discussion of the factors that promote the growth of science. Before this is tackled, the paper briefly discusses the importance of the conceptual and the methodological structures of science and contends that both need to be given equal emphases if science is to thrive in any society or institution. The history of science education reveals that six factors namely: interaction with nature; openness; the existence of the plurality of views; naturalistic explanations of phenomena; experimentation; record-keeping are critical pre-requisite for the advancement of science in any society. The paper discusses each of the factors by making reference to practices that fostered the scientific enterprise and kindled the flame of scientific and technological advancement in the developed countries. These are contrasted with practices in traditional societies in Ghana and elsewhere which act as barriers to the growth of science. JOURNAL OF THE GHANA SCIENCE ASSOCIATION Volume 1 Number 1, July (1998) pp. 1-6