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In both formal and informal settings, not only science but also views on the nature of science are communicated. Although there probably is no singular nature shared by all fields of science, in the field of science education it is commonly assumed that on a certain level of generality there is a consensus on many features of science. In this paper, it will be argued that because of their focus on unifying items and their ignoring of the actual heterogeneity of science, it is questionable whether such consensus views can fruitfully contribute to the aim of science communication, i.e., to enhance the public's functional scientific literacy. The possibilities of an alternative approach to the portrayal of the sciences within science communication are explored. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 95:1086–1100, 2011

In this paper we present a schematic overview of the central concepts in evolutionary theory, setting them off against the background of widespread misconceptions about them. Our aim is to provide high school teachers with (1) an overview of those particular concepts that they can expect students to have difficulties with, (2) a comparison of students' alternative conceptions with the corresponding accepted scientific concepts and (3) some recommendations for teaching these concepts. We aim to improve the learning and teaching of evolution by making the relevant conceptual debates within the fields of history and philosophy of science more accessible to science teachers. We intended this conceptual analysis to be of use as a teaching tool for in-service teachers, as well as biology teachers in training.

This paper is concerned with the conceptualization of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for teaching about the nature of science. In contrast to the view that science teachers need to develop a specific “PCK for nature of science,” an alternative, more comprehensive notion of PCK for science teaching is suggested. The point of departure for the development of this notion is Shulman's original conceptualization of PCK that is rooted in Schwab's views of science. With respect to the aim of science teaching to enhance scientific literacy, this approach may offer science teachers an appropriate way to portray and reflect on the diversity of scientific practices within their teaching. In addition, the different interpretations of the “nature of science” and “inquiry” that both feature prominently in Schwab's work and in contemporary discussions of the nature of science are discussed.