Demystifying Nature of Science

Lederman, Judith S.; Bartels, Selina; Lederman, Norman G.; Gnanakkan, Dionysius

doi:10.2505/4/sc14_052_01_40

Cited by 12 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Teaching about such general NOS aspects is contextualized and is often based either on specific activities developed for this purpose (e.g. Lederman, Bartels, Lederman, & Gnanakkan, ), or explicitly connected to particular topics such as, for example, cell division (Lederman & Lederman, ). Students are taught about the various NOS aspects explicitly as they come up during teaching.…”

Section: The “General Aspects” Conceptualization Of Nosmentioning

confidence: 99%

The “general aspects” conceptualization as a pragmatic and effective means to introducing students to nature of science

Kampourakis

2016

J Res Sci Teach

154

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Teaching about nature of science (NOS) is considered as an important goal of science education in various countries. Extensive empirical research about how some aspects of NOS can be effectively taught is also available. The most widely adopted conceptualization of NOS is based on a small number of general aspects of NOS, which fall into two groups: aspects of the nature of scientific knowledge (NOSK) and aspects of scientific inquiry (SI). This conceptualization of NOS will be described in this article as the "general aspects" conceptualization of NOS. Proponents of this conceptualization have concluded from empirical research that particular general aspects of NOS can be effectively taught at various K-12, undergraduate, and teacher preparation courses. Yet, this conceptualization has been criticized as being insufficient and even as misrepresenting science. Critics suggest that a more complete picture of science should be communicated to teachers and students, rather than a list of general aspects of NOS. In this article, I suggest that the "general aspects" conceptualization of NOS provides an effective starting point for teaching about NOS and for addressing students' preconceptions about science. Once this is done, teaching could include more complex aspects and attend simultaneously to multiple contexts, as the critics suggest. This might be achieved along a learning pathway, in which the "general aspects" conceptualization of NOS might nicely pave the way for the "family resemblance" conceptualization of NOS, espoused by several of the critics because of explicit continuities between them. # 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 53: 667-682, 2016

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Section: The “General Aspects” Conceptualization Of Nosmentioning

confidence: 99%

The “general aspects” conceptualization as a pragmatic and effective means to introducing students to nature of science

Kampourakis

2016

J Res Sci Teach

154

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“…Regarding the age of students, Paula considered it important for students to start discussing aspects of the NOS in the years preceding the level she teaches. Accordingly, studies reveal that young students are more curious and more open to learning about the NOS [68].…”

Section: Results Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Models and the Nature of Science: What Mediates Their Implementation in Portuguese Biology and Geology Classes?

Torres

Vasconcelos

2021

Education Sciences

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Currently, it is considered fundamental to improve students’ views of the nature of science (NOS) in science classes. In addition, models are also important in science education, not only as contributors for students to develop their views of the NOS, but also for them to develop conceptual knowledge, as well as inquiry skills. Teachers greatly influence students’ learning experience. With the aim to improve prospective science teachers’ views of the NOS and about models, and to better understand the factors that mediate the translation of their views into their classroom practices, a research project was conducted. An intervention programme was applied, and prospective science teachers’ classes were observed. Data were collected, encompassing a diverse set of data sources: (i) questionnaires and interviews (given to prospective science teachers before and after the intervention programme); (ii) prospective science teachers’ lesson plans and portfolios: (iii) videotapes and observations of the classroom instruction; (iv) and, lastly, final interviews were given to both prospective science teachers and their school supervisors. Although prospective science teachers have improved their views regarding the NOS and models, they taught about the NOS and used models in very different ways. Some factors that mediate the translation of teachers’ views and some educational implications will be discussed.

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“…Some relevant aspects discussed include “science is a way of knowing and there are values and beliefs inherent to the development of scientific knowledge” (Lederman et al., 1998), “science is a human endeavor and people of all ages, socioeconomic levels, races, sexes and nationalities engage in the enterprise” (Weinburgh, 2003), and “the development of scientific knowledge involves human creativity and human subjectivity” (Crowther et al., 2005). To that extent, students understood that there are many methods of “doing science”, not just one “Scientific Method” (Crowther et al., 2005), and that our current best explanation of the natural world falls within the limitations of our observations. Similar to Pringle's (2020) emphasis of moving K‐12 students away from rote memorization, emphasis was placed on students examining phenomena, generating evidence‐based claims and providing explanations.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Student‐focused, career‐driven exploration in natural history museums through experiential education and mentorship: A model to intentionally increase the racial and ethnic diversity of students

Flemming

2023

Natural Sciences Education

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Being immersed in the processes of research can develop undergraduate students' science identities and support their persistence in pursuing science careers. However, it can be difficult for students to find opportunities for engaging in authentic scientific research. The professional staff and scientific objects in natural history museums provide such an opportunity that can create relationships through which both undergraduate students and museums benefit. Students require authentic practical experiences to better understand their academic fields and career trajectories, and museums require assistance curating and managing collections. This can be accomplished through mentorship, training, and research experience in a formal course. At the University of Florida, I developed and taught a course titled "Introduction to Natural History" that engaged students in projects in museum collections. Discussion sessions replaced lectures by introducing topics such as the concept of research, distinction between predictions and hypotheses, understanding of the nature of science, and how to conduct literature reviews. In 2019 and 2020, students completed a preand postcourse survey to gauge their understanding of science and their anticipated career trajectory. My results demonstrate that mentorship and authentic experiential science opportunities using museum collections enable students to realize a passion, sense of purpose, and better understanding of science and careers in science.

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Demystifying Nature of Science

Cited by 12 publications

References 0 publications

The “general aspects” conceptualization as a pragmatic and effective means to introducing students to nature of science

The “general aspects” conceptualization as a pragmatic and effective means to introducing students to nature of science

Models and the Nature of Science: What Mediates Their Implementation in Portuguese Biology and Geology Classes?

Student‐focused, career‐driven exploration in natural history museums through experiential education and mentorship: A model to intentionally increase the racial and ethnic diversity of students

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