Socio-Scientific Issues (SSI)-Based Learning Material and the Scientific Literacy of Grade 10 Students

Socio-Scientific Issues (SSIs) are essential to today's education because they provide students with a means to address problems that intersect society and science in the real world. This study focuses on designing and developing socio-scientific issues (SSI)-based learning material to improve and enhance the scientific literacy of Grade 10 students. It also attempted to determine the students’ perception of core aspects and the quality assessment of socio-scientific issues (SSI)-based learning materials, and to find out if there is a significant relationship between those perceptions and the students' scientific literacy performance level. Additionally, it sought to determine the significant difference between the pre-assessment and post-assessment level of scientific literacy of the respondents after the use of socio-scientific issues (SSI)-based learning material. Using an experimental-developmental research design, sixty (60) Grade 10 students at San Antonio National High School during the academic year 2023-2024 were chosen as the respondents of the study. Teacher-made SSI-based learning material and pre-assessment and post-assessment tests which were validated by the panel of experts were used to measure the scientific literacy performance level of the students. In line with the study's findings, there is no significant relationship between students' perception of the core aspects of SSI-based learning materials and their scientific literacy performance level, except for the design elements and the investigative nature of science. Aside from this, there is also no significant relationship between the students' perception of the quality assessment of SSI-based learning material and their scientific literacy performance level, except for the practicality and knowledge of science. Moreover, there is a significant difference in the scientific literacy performance level of the respondents between pre-assessment and post-assessment, after the use of socio-scientific issues (SSI)-based learning materials. In conclusion, educators may consider incorporating socio-scientific issues into the teaching and learning process to enhance students' scientific literacy further.