Science Identity as a Pathway to Literacy: Reconceptualizing Science Education Through Dialogical Self Theory

Despite decades of reform, science education continues to fall short of its aim to cultivate scientifically literate individuals capable of evidence-informed decision-making. However, dominant models of scientific literacy often understate the role of identity—particularly how learners navigate epistemic and affective tensions when making decisions. Drawing on classical identity traditions in developmental and social-cognitive psychology, Dialogical Self Theory (DST), and the Conceptual Profile Model (CPM), I propose the Science Identity as a Pathway to Literacy (SIPL) framework, which positions identity development as central to achieving scientific literacy. SIPL highlights two core developmental processes: (1) developing awareness of the dialogical self and (2) building the capacity to adopt meta-positions. Together these processes help learners coordinate conflicting I-positions and conceptual profiles when engaging with science and in decision-making more broadly. By reconceptualizing literacy as an emergent dialogical competence rather than the mere accumulation of knowledge and practices, SIPL foregrounds internal negotiation, conceptual flexibility, and epistemic agency as essential outcomes of science education. This framing aligns with emerging policy perspectives, including the draft PISA 2025 Science Framework, which recognizes science identity as an important dimension of scientific literacy.