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All STEM students should learn inclusive science communication

Nature Human Behaviour (2024)Cite this article

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Science communication often assumes a ‘deficit’ in knowledge on behalf of the recipient, but this deficit-based approach is inequitable and ineffective. We must train all STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) students in inclusive science communication, which uses collaboration with diverse people to address misinformation and solve socioscientific issues.

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Fig. 1: Deficit versus inclusive models of science communication.

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Acknowledgements

N.C.K. has received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Building Capacity in STEM Education Research grant no. 2225095 and the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science’s College Research Council science pedagogy grant programme. All authors received funding from Colorado State University’s Office of the Vice President for Research’s ‘Accelerating Innovations in Pandemic Disease’ initiative, made possible through support from The Anschutz Foundation. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    Nicole C. Kelp

  2. Department of Journalism and Media Communication, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA

    Ashley A. Anderson

  3. School of Communication, University of the Frasier Valley, Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada

    Joy C. Enyinnaya

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  1. Nicole C. Kelp
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  2. Ashley A. Anderson
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  3. Joy C. Enyinnaya
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Correspondence to Nicole C. Kelp.

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Kelp, N.C., Anderson, A.A. & Enyinnaya, J.C. All STEM students should learn inclusive science communication. Nat Hum Behav (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01918-4

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