Science Communication and Epistemic Trust through Science Education: The Moderated Mediation Role of Epistemic Responsibility

Abstract

Science communication and education play a vital role in making scientific knowledge accessible and trustworthy in society. However, declining trust in scientific authority, the proliferation ofdisinformation, and epistemic crises underscore the heightened responsibility of scientists and educators. This study investigates the moderated mediation role of epistemic responsibility in the correlation between science communication and epistemic trust through science education. Adopting an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design, the research first employed qualitative focus group interviews with purposively sampled expert science. Thematic analysis identified key patterns, informing the subsequent quantitative phase, where a validated scale was developed through rigorous reliability and validity testing. Results confirmed that epistemic responsibility functions as a moderated mediation between science communication and epistemic trust within science education. The findings emphasize the need for educational policies to foster students' epistemic sensitivity via ethics-based and inquiry-driven learning environments. By integrating qualitative insights with quantitative validation, this study contributes to addressing epistemic challenges in science communication and education, offering practical implications for enhancing trust and accountability in scientific discourse.