| Scientific literacy becomes more and more important to human daily lives in the world shaped by science and technology. Improving all students' scientific literacy is the main goal in science education reform movement throughout the world. Scientific literacy research and survey are carried on all over the world. But it is found that in mainland China the scientific literacy research and survey just at a preliminary stage, especially in the minority regions, and that there are some deficiencies in its research quantity, content and the method. Guangxi is one of the five autonomous regions in mainland China.There are 11 original inhabitants races in Guangxi, and Chuang, Yao, Miao, Dong and Molao are the five main native races.These five races occupy more than 99 percent original inhabitants in Guangxi, and more than 38 percent of the total populations in Guangxi, and also more than 60 percent in Guangxi total area. Minority students' scientific literacy level will effect the future development of their own regions, so it is worth studying on scientific literacy of the students in Guangxi minority regions.This study mainly investigated the scientific literacy status quo and its influencing factors of senior high school students in Guangxi minority regions with the methods of quantitive and qualitative analysis. Its foundation were Science and Education Standards of Basic Education in mainland China, the Citizen Scientific Literacy Action Program, and the Theory of Lifelong Education. The research questions were: (l)Were the students familiar with the word "scientific literacy"? In their opinion, what the features did a scientific literacy person have? (2)what the characteristics and trend of the basic scientific literacy level did the students haves? which the commonness and the otherness about the basic scientific literacy did the students have? (3) how about the students' scientific competences? which the commonness and otherness about the basic scientific competences did the students have? (4)what the characteristics and trend of the influence factors in the students' science study? such as parent's participation, study interest, study strategy, study anxiety, the sense of belonging to school, and the student-teacher relation? Which factors is the important one? (5)what about were the status quo of the science education in Guangxi middle school, including students' science learning time in classroom, science teachers' morale, students' morale, the quality of school's human and material resources, and obstacles in science study and science education.The main instruments used in the study were: (1) the Test of Basic Scientific Literacy (TBSL). It is comprised of science content knowledge, the nature of science, the interaction among science, technology and society (STS). The science content also constitutes four areas of test items: earth and space science, life science, physical science and health science. The instrument of TBSL was developed by Laugksch and Spargo, and translated to Chinese version in Taiwan by Chi-Chin Chin.This study modified it in order to measure the scientific literacy in the mainland China. (2) the Scientific Competencies Questionnaire. including identifying scientific issues, explaining phenomena scientifically and using scientific evidence; (3) the Science Study Context Questionnaire, including parents' participating, study interest, study strategy, study anxiety, the sense of belonging to school, and student-science teacher relations; (4) the School Questionnaire, including students' science learning time in classroom, science teachers' morale, students' morale, the quality of school's human and material resources, and obstacles in science education. 1600 students from 10 high schools of 10 inhabit regions were tested by these instruments, including 309 Han students, 360 Chuang students, 272 Yao students, 195 Miao students, 226 Dong students and 238 Molao students. The principals of these 10 school also responded to questionnaire and interviewed.The conclusions were as follows:(1) The study modified the instrument of Test of Basic Scientific Literacy(TBSL), established its validity and division and reliability with a Cronbach alpha value of 0.89 for the whole test, and 0.87, 0.64, 0.80 for the sub-tests of science content, the nature of science and STS. It can mainly be used for the measurement of scientific literacy in middle school students in mainland China.(2) The students were not familiar to the word "scientific literacy". Only less than 50 percent students heard of it. Most heard of the word in school, TV, the press and Internet were also the important channels to hear of it. Students emphasized science content, science competence, and moral to be part of a scientific literacy person, but fewer concerned the science process and method, the nature of science and STS, and fewer mentioned the interest and curiosity and other characters related to science inquiry. Some students viewed the person with scientific literacy as a scientist, or people with high diploma, high literacy and high IQ .(3) In general, the basic scientific literacy of the students in Guangxi minority regions was at a satisfactory level. The students displayed higher literacy in health science, life science and STS, and got lower score in the nature of science and the earth and space science. Grade three performed significantly higher than grade one in life science, physical science, health science, the nature of science, STS, science content and TBSL; there was no significant difference in earth science between grades. The gender difference in life science, physical science, the nature of science, science content and TBSL was negligible, although boys scored significantly higher than girls in earth science, and girls scored significantly higher than boys in health science and STS. There was no significant difference in earth science, life science, health science, the nature of science, science content and TBSL between majors, although science majors scored significantly higher than art majors in physical science and STS.In the sight of races, Han,Chuang,Yao, and Molao students scored significantly higher in earth science than Miao students, Dong students performed significantly higher than Chuang and Miao stuents.In life science, Han, Yao, and Molao students scored significantly higher than Miao students, Dong students scored significantly higher than Chuang, Yao and Miao students. In physical science, Han, Chuang and Dong students showed significantly higher gains than Yao students. In health science, Dong students scored significantly higher than Han, Chuang, Yao and Miao students, Molao students scored significantly higher than Miao students. In nature of science, Han, Chuang and Yao students outperformed Miao students, Dong and Molao students outperformed Yao and Miao students. In STS, Han, Chuang, Dong and Molao students had significantly higher performance than Miao students, Dong students had significantly higher performance than Chuang, Yao and Miao students. In science content, Han, Chuang, Yao and Molao students scored significantly higher than Miao students, Dong students scored significantly higher than Han, Chuang, Yao and Miao students. In TBSL, Han, Chuang, Yao, Dong and Molao students scored significantly higher than Miao students, Dong students scored significantly higher than Yao students.(4) The students obtained a disappointed score in scientific competencies. Comparatively, they got the highest scores in explaining phenomena scientifically, and got the lowest scores in identifying scientific issues. In total, grade three scored significantly higher than grade one, boys performed significantly higher than girls; science majors performed significantly higher than art majors. Han, Chuang, Yao students scored significantly higher than Miao students, Dong students scored significantly higher than Han, Chuang, Yao and Miao students, Molao students scored significantly higher than Chuang and Miao students. In identifying scientific issues, grade three showed a significantly higher achievement than grade one, boys showed a significantly higher achievement than girls; science majors showed a significantly higher achievement than art majors. Han, Chuang, Yao, Molao students showed a significantly higher achievement than Miao students; Dong students showed a significantly higher achievement than Chuang and Miao students. In scientific explaintion, grade three scored significantly higher than grade one, boys scored significantly higher than girls, Dong students scored significantly higher than Chuang and Miao students, Molao students scored significantly higher than Chuang ,Yao and Miao students. In using scientific evidence, grade three outperformed grade one, boys outperformed girls, science majors outperformed art majors, Han, Chuang, Yao students outperformed Miao students. Dong and Molao students outperformed Chuang and Miao students.(5) The factors affecting scientific literacy study of high school students were in positive state. Students scored higher in science learning interest, and scored lower in science learning anxiety. In total, grade one scored significantly higher than grade three, boys performed significantly higher than girls, science majors performed significantly higher than art majors, Dong and Molao students scored significantly higher than Han and Molao students.In parent participation, grade one scored significantly higher than grade three, boys scored significantly higher than girls; there was no significantly difference between subjects and races. In science learning interest, boys performed significantly higher than girls, science majors performed significantly higher than art majors, Dong students scored significantly higher than Han and Miao students, Chuang and Yao students scored significantly higher than Molao students; there was no significantly difference between grades. In learning strategy, boys showed significantly higher gains than girls, science majors showed significantly higher gains than art majors; there was negligible difference between grades and races. In learning anxiety, boys scored significantly higher than girls, science majors scored significantly higher than art majors; there was no significantly difference between grades and races. In sense of belonging to school, grade one performed significantly higher than grade three, Dong students performed significantly higher than Han students; there was negligible difference between genders and subjects. In student-science teacher relations, grade one scored significantly higher than grade three, boys perform significantly higher than girls, science majors perform significantly higher than art majors; there was no significantly difference between races.The students' basic scientific literacy level and scientific competencies had significantly positive correlation to learning interest and student-science teacher relations.(6) There was less optimism in the science education in minority regions of Guangxi. The science learning time in classroom was different, physics' and chemistry's were more than that of biology and geography. Most students had positive attitude in science study, they were cooperative and respectful, but were not being provided enough opportunities to achieve their full potentials, and were low expected by the teachers. Many science teachers had great enthusiasm and new ideas in science teaching and reform, but most schools were short of effective science teachers and computer resources, and the ratios of student-science teacher and student-computer were high, ratios of teacher-computer was low. School buildings and grounds, science laboratory equipment and materials, and experienced science teachers were the top three factors that hindered the science education in school.These results can provide implications to the science teachers and their trainers, and to the science education researchers and policy makers in Guangxi minority regions, as well as to the researches in other regions.
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