Reconceptualizing the Nature of Science for Science Education

Abstract

The chapter sets out the agenda for the entire book. The primary aim is to illustrate the context for the articulation of how “Nature of Science” (NOS) can be conceptualized and subsequently applied in science education research, policy and practice. Considering the vast amount of research literature in science education on NOS, the intention is to highlight some of the recent debates on the topic and provide a rationale for a new direction in this area. The contribution to the NOS debate is made by appealing to the theoretical grounding of arguments in science education on foundational fields like philosophy of science to ensure consistency with contemporary meta-accounts of science. In other words, an evidence-based theoretical rationale is followed to illustrate what is meant by ‘science’. The implications of various investigations into different aspects of science (e.g. epistemic, cognitive and social aspects) are numerous for curriculum content, instructional approaches and learning outcomes. Even though the coverage is theoretical in nature, plenty of concrete examples are used to illustrate how the ideas might translate to the level of the classroom so that they are applicable and relevant for everyday science teachers and learners. Once the theoretical rationale for a new approach is built and unpacked, empirical validation of these ideas may follow in the work of other science educators, including the testing for the effectiveness of some of the proposed strategies.