Examining Bhutanese Science Teachers’ Epistemic Views of Scientific Inquiry

Abstract

Scientific inquiry is regarded as the bedrock of science education in Bhutan. Bhutanese science teachers, for example, are increasingly required to possess accurate and deep epistemic views of scientific inquiry. Hence, this cross-sectional study was carried out to examine Bhutanese science teachers’ epistemic views of scientific inquiry. The study recruited 301 science teachers using convenience and snowball sampling procedures. Data was collected using Views About Scientific Inquiry (VASI) questionnaire administered through an online survey mode and analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistical methods. Findings from this study revealed Bhutanese science teachers as being ignorant of epistemic aspects related to questions and hypotheses, procedures of investigations, results, and procedures of investigations, scientific data and scientific evidence, and scientific explanations and scientific theories. The independent sample t-test revealed no significant difference between Bhutanese male and female science teachers’ epistemic views of scientific inquiry (p > .05). The one-way ANOVA revealed significant differences amongst Bhutanese science teachers’ epistemic views of scientific inquiry based on academic qualification (p < .05). The Tukey HSD post hoc test, however, showed the differences existing only between science teachers with master’s degree and certificate qualification in favour of the former (p < .05). The three-way ANOVA revealed Bhutanese science teachers’ epistemic views of scientific inquiry as being independent of individual and interaction effects of school type, teaching subject, and teaching experience (p > .05).