Nature of science and domain-specificity: investigating the coverage of nature of science in physics, chemistry and biology curricula across grade levels

Abstract

ABSTRACT The paper investigates the coverage of nature of science (NOS) in different science subject curricula to understand how they emphasise various aspects of NOS across grade levels in secondary science education. Although various science curriculum analyses exist in the literature, there is a paucity of investigations that have combined the elements of domain-specificity and learning progression in relation to NOS curriculum content. Furthermore, a holistic and inclusive account of NOS is used to examine the cognitive, epistemic, social and institutional aspects of NOS. Physics, chemistry and biology high school curricula from Turkey are investigated. Each subject curriculum is analysed and compared using an analytical framework guided by the Family Resemblance Approach. Mixed methods approaches are used to summarise the quantitative and qualitative results. Findings suggest an overemphasis on the cognitive-epistemic aspects of NOS, considerable variation across science subject areas and non-uniform progression of NOS themes across grade levels. Analysis of curricula incorporating the domain-specific and learning progression elements of NOS is likely to enhance understanding of how to design robust curricula in different science subjects and to improve the teaching and learning of NOS. Implications for curriculum reform are discussed.