The strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training sets out five key strategic priorities, which reinforce the EU’s commitment towards the European Education Area and support its further development, while also delineating the key directions of the EU in education policy (Council of the European Union [Council of EU] 2021; Council of EU 2019b). These priorities envision a European education which is inclusive, diverse and equitable, high-quality and accessible for all, future-oriented, digital-focused, reflective of the green transition, appreciative of teachers and enables lifelong learning, including high-quality teacher training. At the same time, the framework underlines the key role of education in promoting active and responsible citizenship in an “era in which globalisation, technological progress, sustainability challenges, persistent social inclusion challenges, political instability and demographic change are having a profound impact on European societies and citizens” (Council of EU 2019b: 1). The priorities of the Strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training are reflected in the focus topics of the European Education Area, which are: 1) quality and equity in education and training, 2) teacher training and teaching as a profession, 3) digital education, and 4) green education. These four principles are aligned with other strategic documents even outside the direct field of education, such as the European Pillar of Social Rights, the European Skills Agenda (European Commission [EC] 2020b), the European Digital Strategy, the European Democracy Action Plan (EC 2020d), and the European Green Deal. Together, they provide the fabric of the European dimension of the SciLMi Framework. Embedded in this policy and professional context, the SciLMi Framework is inherently European. It has been developed to reflect and further the vision and priorities of the EU for education and training through a new, extended approach to scientific literacy. The Framework’s overall aims are directly linked to the EU’s goals on improving quality and equity in education, supporting educators, and enhancing lifelong learning, digital, transversal and employability skills.
\nInclusion, diversity and equality are fundamental principles of the EU’s education priorities (Council of EU 2018; Council of EU 2019b; Council of EU 2021; EACEA & Eurydice 2016). The SciLMi Framework puts forth an educational approach to meta-scientific literacies that is innately inclusive. With a strong emphasis on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and differentiated instruction, it strives for educational practices that are accessible and tailored to the diverse needs of all students. The Framework’s elements encourage values such as human dignity and human rights, openness, and showing respect and appreciation towards others, and towards all forms of diversity, including social, cultural and linguistic differences. It incorporates a linguistic perspective, not only directly for the competences of meta-scientific literacies, but also by emphasising multilingualism as a key aspect of inclusion in the classroom, in line with the principles of the European Education Area and with the Council Recommendation on a comprehensive approach to the teaching and learning of languages (Council of EU 2019a). The inclusion aspect of the Framework does not only support the EU’s goal of creating inclusive education systems but also promotes equity, ensuring that all learners, regardless of their background, have access to high-quality education.
\nThe progress in digital transformation is a key priority of the EU that points to the constantly growing need to foster digital literacy skills of citizens based on a well-established approach that reflects on future challenges. While the 2030 Digital Compass paves the way for EU Member States to achieve goals such as a digitally skilled population and highly skilled digital professionals (EC 2021a: 4), the Digital Education Action Plan (2021–2027) provides a detailed vision of a high-quality, inclusive and accessible digital education in Europe (EC 2020a). Having digitally competent and confident educators is vital for supporting the provision of basic digital skills and competences from an early age, and for boosting advanced digital skills to successfully enhance the number of digital specialists (EC 2020a). The SciLMi Framework includes both the necessary skills to navigate and utilize digital technologies effectively, and the educator’s competences and attitudes that are required to foster the skills of their students. By providing a set of skills that are important for the responsible use of digital media, the Framework aims to prepare students to be competent users in the digital age, where resilience to mis- and disinformation is essential. The SciLMi Framework is strongly connected to the Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (DigComp 2.2) (Vuorikari et al. 2022), and aligns with competences needed to successfully navigate in an environment where information sources are mostly digitalised.
\nThe Framework emphasizes the importance of understanding diverse perspectives, distinguishing between reliable and unreliable sources, understanding the role and impact of media in society, developing critical thinking skills and constructing well-founded arguments. In this way, it supports the EU’s vision of supporting learners to navigate an increasingly complex digital and information-rich world (Council of EU 2021; EC 2020b) and equipping them with essential skills for future challenges (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development [OECD] 2019). The increasing risk of exposure to various forms of disinformation in modern media affects school students among many others, leading to growing attention being devoted to the impact of disinformation in the media across the European Union, with the aim of building resilience against disinformation and raising awareness about the threat that disinformation poses (EC 2020c: 13; EC 2018b: 10). Mass online disinformation campaigns sow distrust, leading to societal tension, which can bear serious potential consequences for the security of European citizens (EC 2018a).
\nThe European Commission and the Council of Europe highlighted the importance of addressing the issue among school students, emphasising “the importance of effective media literacy education campaigns and curricula to raise awareness about disinformation in the media and to provide schools, teachers, parents and students with the necessary tools and competences to address this threat” (Wardle & Derakhshan 2017, as cited in EC 2020c: 13). Based on empirical studies, contextual factors such as pertinent teacher education and supportive school environments are recognised as supporting measures for media literacy competences, alongside media literacy programmes and curricula aimed at promoting a critical orientation towards media contents (McDougall et al. 2018, as cited in EC 2020c: 14). The SciLMi Framework addresses the educational challenges outlined by the Research for CULT Committee by focusing on the development of scientific literacy and critical thinking skills of learners (Siarova et al. 2019).
\nEnsuring access to high-quality education for all, as well as encouraging lifelong learning, remain key educational priorities for the EU (Council of EU 2021). The SciLMi Framework is well aligned, for instance, with the Key Competences for Lifelong Learning (EC 2019), which “are a prerequisite to thrive in life, to find or create fulfilling jobs and to become engaged citizens” (Council of EU 2021: 17), as the approach of meta-scientific literacies is not only relevant for the science competence but also for nearly all of the eight key domains, including literacy, multilingual, citizenship and digital competences. At the same time, meta-scientific literacies and the Framework overall build upon and promote skills which are embedded across the competence domains, such as critical thinking and problem-solving (EC 2019), strengthening the connection and the shared objective. In addition, the SciLMi Framework is strongly connected to the Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (DigComp 2.2) (Vuorikari et al. 2022), and also resonates with specific elements of the European Framework for Personal, Social and Learning to Learn Key Competence (LifeComp), such as effective collaboration, adaptation to new situations or project-based learning (Joint Research Centre [JRC] 2020), as well as with the European sustainability competence framework (GreenComp) (JRC 2022). The Framework essentially prepares learners to engage with complex global issues, scientific and non-scientific, and to become resilient, responsible and active citizens (EC et al. 2012; EC & European Education and Culture Executive Agency [EACEA] 2017; EACEA & Eurydice 2016).
\nIn the context of the green transition, the SciLMi Framework is a crucial educational resource. It is in line with the aims of the EU’s ‘green education’ focus, to improve learners’ and educators’ sustainability competences (Council of EU 2019b; Council of EU 2021; Council of EU 2022; JRC 2022). The Framework aims to develop students’ competences to understand and address environmental challenges, among others, through research, evaluation and evidence-based decision-making, through interdisciplinary approaches, and through an emphasis on critical thinking, problem-solving and combating misinformation. Sustainability and climate change are key socio-scientific issues to which the competences of meta-scientific literacies of the SciLMi Framework can be applied.
\nFurthermore, the Framework’s approach to civic-mindedness and engagement in public discourse, fostering critical thinking and media literacy, and addressing the core values of freedom, tolerance and non-discrimination resonates with EU priorities to prepare students to become responsible, informed and active European citizens through education (Council of EU 2018; EACEA & Eurydice 2016). The strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training also underlines the key role of education in promoting active and responsible citizenship (Council of EU 2019b; Council of EU 2021). In this respect, the SciLMi Framework supports the EU’s vision by preparing learners to engage with complex global issues and to become resilient, responsible and active citizens (EC et al. 2012; EC & EACEA 2017; EACEA & Eurydice 2016).
\nIn the larger context of promoting digital skills, the improvement of AI skills gains increasing importance (EC 2021b: 28). As a result of the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Artificial Intelligence Act was approved by the European Parliament in 2024, as the first-ever comprehensive legal framework on AI worldwide, supporting the uptake of human-centric and trustworthy artificial intelligence (European Parliament [EP] & Council of EU 2024: 4). As highlighted in the AI Act, “the use of AI can provide key competitive advantages to undertakings and support socially and environmentally beneficial outcomes, for example in […] education and training” (EP & Council of EU 2024: 6). The AI Act encourages the deployment of AI systems in education by emphasising its importance in the context of providing high-quality digital education and training. Supporting learners and educators in acquiring and sharing the necessary digital skills and competences related to the understanding of AI, such as media literacy and critical thinking, is increasingly important for a European citizen to take an active part in the economy, society, and democratic processes (EP & Council of EU 2024: 53). Besides the recognition of the potential for development represented by AI, recent publications issued by the European Commission carefully reflect on the risks AI poses to European society, including in the field of education (High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence 2019). The development of the necessary AI and data literacy of educators is necessary to appreciate the full potential of such systems (EACEA 2023: 8). Besides the various learner skills covering the area of digital literacy, the SciLMi Framework dedicates attention to the necessary skills related to AI that the future generation needs to acquire to exploit the potential of AI, and mitigate the risks connected to this rapidly evolving family of technologies.
\nTeacher training and teaching as a profession is one of the focus topics of the European Education Area and one of the strategic priorities of the framework for European cooperation in education and training (Council of EU 2021; Council of EU 2019b). Having digitally competent and confident educators is vital for supporting the provision of basic digital skills and competences from an early age, and for boosting advanced digital skills (EC 2020a). The Commission Expert Group on Tackling Disinformation and Promoting Digital Literacy through education and training concluded that, in order to provide effective education that serves the purpose of building resilience to online disinformation, teachers need support to strengthen their abilities to successfully take on the roles that are expected from them (EC 2022). The development of the necessary AI and data literacy of educators is also necessary to appreciate the full potential of such systems (EACEA 2023: 8). The SciLMi Framework presents a step towards the goal of supporting teachers in fighting disinformation by presenting the competences that need further attention in teacher education. More broadly, the Framework is aligned with the EU’s emphasis on supporting educators and enabling high-quality teacher training.
\nOverall, the SciLMi Framework is well aligned with the EU’s current education priorities and policies. Its emphasis on lifelong learning, digital literacy, inclusivity, sustainability, and innovation supports the EU’s strategic goals, contributing to the development of knowledgeable, skilled and adaptable societies, with responsible, informed and active citizens. By addressing these key areas, the SciLMi Framework enhances the quality and relevance of education, ensuring that students are well prepared for the future.
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