In England, there has recently been a major change in the Science National Curriculum. The 2000 edition of ‘Science in the National Curriculum’ used to say:

Students should be taught . . . ways in which scientific work may be affected by the contexts in which it takes place [for example, social, historical, moral, and spiritual], and how these contexts may affect whether or not ideas are accepted
(Science in the National Curriculum, Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, 2000, Key Stage 4, 1c - emphasis mine)

From September 2007, the new National Curriculum reads:

Students should be taught . . . to consider how and why decisions about science and technology are made, including those that raise ethical issues, and about the social, economic and environmental effects of such decisions