My dream future for the development of science education

Humanistically Speaking
Oct 31
3 min read

Updated: Nov 2

David McKnight is a retired science teacher and a Nuffield Chemist. He has a BSc Honours degree in Metallurgy and a Master’s degree in Education from Reading University. In 2007, he founded Humanists4Science – a group of humanists with an active interest in science. David is now looking to pass the baton on to a new generation of leaders and volunteers. This article draws on his e-book entitled A Personal Glimpse of (My Dream) Future for the Development of Science Education : A Manifesto for Research.

‘A person who doesn’t think for themselves doesn’t think at all.’ Oscar Wilde

David McKnight identifies at least four ways people commonly think about science. First, there is school science – something delivered to us rather than owned by us, ending in certificates and graduation photos. Second, there is public science – the expert announcements and discoveries that appear in news bulletins, reinforcing the idea that science is something done by others. Third, there is commercial science – the laboratory imagery and advertising slogans that use scientific symbols to sell products.

But David is most interested in a fourth kind: personal science – the science that goes on inside our own minds. From the moment we are born, he argues, we are natural experimenters, learning by responding to stimuli and forming mental connections. This inner process of questioning, testing and reasoning is the essence of human thought. Through practice, patience and logical learning, he believes everyone can rediscover these innate scientific skills – becoming more confident in developing ideas, forming theories and thinking independently.

David’s goal is to inspire others to carry these ideas forward: to make science education more personal, creative and integral to humanist thinking. He hopes that by embedding scientific habits of inquiry within the humanist movement, more people will see science as a shared human endeavour – one that could, over time, replace dogma with open dialogue, verifiable evidence and rational understanding. Click on this 5-minute video to get the full picture:

Humanists4Science

According to its website, Humanists4Science is a group of humanists with an active interest in science. The group believes that science is a fundamental part of humanism and that it should always be directed toward humane and ethical ends. It emphasises that science is best understood as a method rather than a fixed body of facts, and that this method can be applied to a wide range of issues – including many not traditionally regarded as scientific. Humanists4Science aims to promote the use of scientific thinking and evidence-based reasoning both within the humanist community and in wider society.

Passing the torch

David is now looking to hand over leadership of Humanists4Science while continuing to contribute in a supporting role. Without new leadership, he warns, the group’s website may close by 2026. His aim is to find a fresh team of volunteers – ideally with experience in science education and online communication – to relaunch Humanists4Science as a dynamic, creative platform open to all.

He envisages a management team that can merge compassion, empathy and scientific thinking, promoting the use of science for the benefit of wider society rather than solely for the humanist community. David hopes the new team will encourage idea-sharing, evaluate and refine contributions, and stimulate creative thinking about how to communicate science more effectively. Ultimately, his goal is to see Humanists4Science continue to grow under new leadership, spreading the values of evidence, empathy and curiosity to a broader audience.

Are you the person David is looking for? If you share his passion for science, education and humanism – and have the energy to help shape the next chapter of Humanists4Science – he would love to hear from you. This thesis was an experiment for David. As with all technology, things can go wrong with manipulation of small URLs and other gremlins. So we’ll leave you with just one click that will provide you with a glance at David’s thesis. It can be repeatedly clicked until the end of April 2026. Do get in touch.

Further information

You can look at two Facebook groups for more information:

HUMANISTS4SCIENCE. This is the regular members’ forum.

Click this link to access: https://www.facebook.com/groups/48524568623

Or to this Facebook group (the title of this group tells its purpose)

H4S WANTS YOU TO SPREAD THESE FILES AROUND THE WORLD. This site shows you how to obtain the thesis; you can even download it to be in a folder on your own computer for further study. It also has several versions of analysis of the thesis by AI via videos, podcasts and summaries.

Click on this link to access: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1374523544379431

Or go directly to the thesis using this link: https://heyzine.com/flip-book/WhatcanIgainfromH4Sbasicscience.html