The Presentation of Science Practice in Twenty Historical Cases

Abstract

The term “science practice” has drawn increasing attention in the current science education literature. In this study, the methodology of content analysis was adopted to examine the presentation of science practice in 20 historical cases compiled in a popular science book. Three aspects and eight categories of science practice constitute the analytical framework. As a result of the qualitative analysis, 17 meanings (sub-categories) under the eight science practices were found in the book. In the quantitative analysis, it was found that “investigating practices” was more commonly presented than “sense-making practices” and “critiquing practices” and that the most frequent are traditional practices of “planning and carrying out investigations,” “analyzing and interpreting data,” and “asking questions.” The findings are significant in providing implications for understanding the notion of science practice and for the design of educational teaching materials in promoting science practice in schools.