How do 15-16 year old students use scientific knowledge to justify their reasoning about human sexuality and relationships?

In order to advance our understanding about the roles students assign to expert knowledge, the present study addresses how 32 Swedish secondary-school students use their knowledge of scientific disciplines in their reasoning on socioscientific issues (SSI) concerning human sexuality. By analyzing group discussions, students were found to use science either as a sole justification or integrated with other kinds of knowledge. Using expert knowledge to lift problems out of the limited local contexts and find solutions, the students access the freedom to make personal choices. It was concluded that scientific knowledge provides possibilities for decisions that can support students' agency.