Understanding Of Nature Of Science Research Articles

Affording Explicit-Reflective Science Teaching by Using an Educative Teachers’ Guide

Although researchers have achieved some success in effective nature of science (NOS) teaching, helping teachers teach NOS continues to be a great challenge. The development of an educative teachers’ guide would provide support for NOS teaching. In this study, we explored the effects that a research-based guide had on affording elementary school teachers’ NOS teaching and on improving their students’ understanding of NOS, and investigated key features for designing a NOS teachers’ guide. The design of the teachers’ guide was based mainly on (1) criteria pertaining to educative curriculum materials, (2) previous research concerning teachers’ guides as facilitators of science teachers, and (3) feedback from participants of NOS professional-development workshops. Our study sampled 10 teachers who implemented the NOS-curriculum material. Six of them (Group A) had NOS-learning experience, while the other four teachers (Group B) did not. Data sources included student outcomes on NOS, teachers’ teaching performance of NOS instruction, an open-ended questionnaire, and transcripts of a focus-group interview. The results indicate that the teachers’ guide enables teachers to perceive changes in their beliefs, knowledge, and intention with regard to integrating NOS into the curriculum. Group B exhibited NOS-teaching performance similar to that exhibited by Group A. Group B teachers are capable of improving students’ understanding of NOS through the use of the guide. Three key features for designing NOS teachers’ guides are: (1) explicitly indicating NOS teaching practice, (2) building pedagogical knowledge for NOS teaching, and (3) guiding teachers’ reflection and learning.

Developing a science teacher education course that supports student teachers’ thinking and teaching about the nature of science

Background and purpose This paper reports on part of an ongoing research project in England concerning the Nature of Science (NOS). The particular focus is on the initial thinking of the graduate scientists starting a one-year, Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE) course and the way the course approaches adopted influence their views and understanding of NOS and their teaching. The research is set against a wealth of literature indicating that teachers find it difficult to teach curricula that emphasise NOS. Thus a key impetus for research in this area has been to look for ways that beginning teachers might be better prepared to face such challenges. Sample The paper draws on data from three cohorts of secondary PGCE students in a university–schools partnership, involving a total of 169 students. Design and method The research lies within a design research tradition. It has used mixed methods, involving written tasks, interviews and focus groups, with an iterative approach where the outcomes from one cohort have been used to inform course developments in successive years. Results The results from these cohorts suggest that, while the students starting the course have a less restricted view of NOS than indicated by some other studies, in most cases there is a lack of breadth and depth to their understanding. There is some evidence that the use of specific tasks focusing on NOS in university-based sessions may be helping to develop and deepen understanding. However, the impact of current approaches remains fairly limited and attempts to develop teaching practices often face considerable barriers in the school-based practicum. Conclusions Graduate science students’ understanding of NOS as they embark on the PGCE is not highly developed. Hence, the emphasis on aspects of NOS in the school curriculum presents a considerable challenge. This study suggests that there is a need to both further develop an explicit focus on NOS in university-based sessions and to develop closer relationships between schools and university faculty in seeking to support developments in classroom practice in this difficult area.

The Influence of an Activity-Based Explicit Approach on the Turkish Prospective Science Teachers’ Conceptions of the Nature of Science

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an activity-based explicit nature of science (NOS) instruction undertaken in the context of a “Science, Technology and Society” course on the prospective science teachers’ (PSTs’) understandings of NOS. In this course, social science based inquiry activities were used to as a context to lead reflection and explicit discussions and project based learning approach (PBL) was used to model an active student centred NOS teaching and learning. Participants were 36 senior PSTs. An adopted form of VNOS questionnaire along with semi-structured interviews was used to assess participants’ conceptions before and after the instruction. Data were analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. It was found that the majority of PSTs hold naïve or mixed views about most aspects of NOS at the beginning of the instruction. The post assessment indicated a substantial development in the participants' conceptions about many aspects of science; however, little change took place for either conceptions related to the social and cultural influences on science or creativity and imagination in science. It is recommended that research should be undertaken to investigate influence of explicit NOS teaching on facilitating transition of NOS understandings to NOS teaching.

The Development of In-Service Science Teachers’ Understandings of and Orientations to Teaching the Nature of Science within a PCK-Based NOS Course

The nature of science (NOS) has become a central goal of science education in many countries. This study sought an understanding of the extent to which a nature of science course (NOSC), designed according to the conceptualization of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for teaching nature of science (NOS), affects in-service science teachers’ understanding and learning of NOS, and their orientations towards teaching it. A qualitative research approach was employed as a research methodology, drawing upon pre- and post-instruction NOS questionnaires, field notes, and in-service teachers’ weekly journal entries and assignments. Open-ended NOS questionnaires, used to assess participants’ understandings of NOS, were analysed and categorized as either informed, partially informed and naive. Other qualitative data were analysed through an inductive process to identify ways in-service teachers engaged and learned in the NOSC. The results indicate that at the beginning of the course, a majority of the in-service science teachers held naive understandings of NOS, particularly with respect to the definition of science, scientific inquiry, and differences between laws and theories. They viewed implicit project-based science and science process skills as goals of NOS instruction. By engaging in the course, the in-service science teachers developed an understanding of NOS and orientations to teaching NOS based on various elements, especially reflective and explicit instruction, role modelling, and content- and non-content embedded instruction. The aim of this study is to help science teacher educators, consider how to support and develop science teachers’ understandings of NOS while being mindful of PCK for NOS, and develop methods for teaching NOS frameworks.

Relationship between nature of science understandings and argumentation skills: A role for counterargument and contextual factors

AbstractThe study investigated the relationship of high school students' understandings about nature of science (NOS) aspects and their argumentation skills in relation to two controversial socioscientific issues. The study was conducted in five schools selected from different geographical areas in Beirut, Lebanon. Participants were 219 grade 11 students. Students in all the schools were administered a survey that consisted of two scenarios that addressed the controversial socioscientific issues about genetically modified food and water fluoridation. The two scenarios were followed by questions relating to argumentation and NOS. The study used a mixed methods approach where quantitative and qualitative measures were employed. Analysis involved participants' views of the target NOS aspects (subjective, tentative, and empirical) and their argumentation components (argument, counterargument, and rebuttal). The Pearson analyses showed strong correlations between the counterargument, compared to argument and rebuttal, and the three NOS aspects. Further, the chi‐square analyses showed significant differences in participants' argumentation skills and NOS understandings between the two scenarios. Qualitative data from questionnaires and interviews further confirmed these findings. Two central implications for the teaching of NOS and argumentation skills were discussed in terms of highlighting the role of counterarguments and considering contextual factors that involve issue exposure and familiarity, prior content knowledge, and personal relevance. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 49: 489–514, 2012

Nature of Science and Decision-Making

The study investigated the relationship of nature of science (NOS) instruction and students' decision-making (DM) related to a controversial socioscientific issue about genetically modified food. Participants were ninth-grade students in four intact sections (two regulars and two honors) in a public high school in the Midwest. All four groups were taught by their regular science teacher. The treatment comprised a four-week unit about genetic engineering. Two groups (one regular and one honors), referred to as comparison groups, received instruction in genetic engineering and how to formulate arguments and make decisions related to this controversial issue. The other two groups (one regular and one honors), referred to as treatment groups, received instruction in genetic engineering and how to apply NOS aspects as they formulate arguments and make decisions in relation to this controversial issue. Chi-square analyses showed significant differences between the comparison and the treatment groups in relation to the understandings of four NOS aspects. There were no differences in their decisions, but there were differences in their DM factors in the context of the controversial socioscientific issue about genetically modified food. These results are discussed in light of the relationship between students' understandings of NOS and their DM related to controversial socioscientific issues.

Pre-service science teachers’ instructional planning for teaching nature of science: a multiple case study

Current study is a multiple case study exploring three pre-service science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge for instructional planning regarding nature of science (NOS) teaching. All pre-service science teachers were taught NOS explicitly and expected to integrate their understanding of nature of science into their lesson plans. The analysis of lesson plans showed that participants still had difficulties in both integrating NOS explicitly and selecting appropriate strategies for assessing students’ NOS understanding. The results suggested that efforts to improve pre-service science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge for teaching NOS should put more emphasis on strategies for assessing NOS and how to integrate NOS explicitly into science content.

Teachers’ Willingness to Adopt Nature of Science Activities Following a Physical Science Professional Development

The major science education reform documents emphasize the need for K-12 students to have a robust understanding of nature of science (NOS), and inservice teachers consequently need to develop their NOS teaching repertoires. This study investigated the extent to which science teachers were willing to adopt new strategies and activities for teaching NOS in their classrooms. The participants were 36 elementary, middle, and high school teachers who were completing a year-long physical science professional development (PD) that included NOS instruction. Data sources consisted of surveys (teachers’ NOS views, teaching practices), collected work, and responses to post-PD follow-up questions. The professional development course was successful in that teachers incorporated many of these strategies and activities into their own practice. This study also endeavored to identify factors that facilitated the adoption of these new approaches to teaching NOS. While personal characteristics such as pre- or post-PD NOS understandings, NOS gains, and grade level taught were not related to the number of NOS activities incorporated, teachers from suburban and rural schools were significantly more likely to implement NOS activities.

Young Adults’ Accounts of Scientific Knowledge When Responding to a Television News Report of Contested Science

This paper reports one aspect of a study of 28 young adults (18–26 years) engaging with the uncertain (contested) science of a television news report about recent research into mobile phone health risks. The aim of the study was to examine these young people’s ‘accounts of scientific knowledge’ in this context. Seven groups of friends responded to the news report, initially in focus group discussions. Later in semi-structured interviews they elaborated their understanding of the nature of science through their explanations of the scientists’ disagreement and described their mobile phone safety risk assessments. This paper presents their accounts in terms of their views of the nature of science and their concept understanding. Discussions were audio-recorded then analysed by coding the talk in terms of issues raised, which were grouped into themes and interpreted in terms of a moderate social constructionist theoretical framing. In this context, most participants expressed a ‘common sense’ view of the nature of science, describing it as an atheoretical, technical procedure of scientists testing their personal opinions on the issue, subject to the influence of funding sponsors. The roles of theory and data interpretation were largely ignored. It is argued that the nature of science understanding is crucial to engagement with contemporary socioscientific issues, particularly the roles of argumentation, theory, data interpretation, and the distinction of science from common sense. Implications for school science relate primarily to nature of science teaching and the inclusion of socioscientific issues in school science curricula. Future research directions are considered.

중학교 과학영재들의 과학의 본성에 대한 인식 분석

The nature of science has been recognized in a great deal in the field of science education. However, only few innovative programs are offered for science-gifted students to improve their recognition of the nature of science. The current study describes and analyzes science-gifted students` understandings of the nature of science (NOS). In addition, the study looks into contradictory views among the aspects of NOS, which are fundamental data in constructing target programs on NOS for science gifted students. Data used in this study were collected from 73 middle school science-gifted students using an open-ended questionnaire, VNOS. The results of this study showed that the participants` understanding of NOS was significantly distributed on naive or transition view except for `tentative NOS`, and the results revealed inconsistent view among the aspects of NOS. This study proposes two suggestions to enhance the recognition of science-gifted on NOS of science to informed state and to have consistent perspectives with other areas. First, the role of experiment has to be changed-it should be the process in constructing scientific knowledge rather than an instrument to check scientific knowledge to transform perspective on experimental data and scientific knowledge. Second, various opportunities must be provided to science-gifted students, so they can experience the culture and community of scientists and science to gain a wider insight of science.

Nature of Science in an Age of Accountability

Why shouldn't teachers teach to the test? If that seems problematic, then the test needs changing, not the teaching. In our new Age of Accountability, at least, testing is not going away soon (Shepard, 2010). One challenge seems especially acute: testing beyond content. Climategate. Revised mammogram recommendations. Erroneous links between the measles vaccine and autism. Suspect communication with coma patients. An informed judgment in these cases requires understanding the nature of science (NOS), not just scientific concepts ( Sacred Bovines , November, 2010). But how do we test for this type of understanding? In particular, how do we get past the multiple-choice format, with its inherent tendency to reduce knowledge to piecemeal facts? If a primary goal is to prepare scientifically literate citizens — able to participate in public and personal decision-making involving science — more sophisticated assessment formats are needed. Nowadays, a teacher would seem to have plenty of options for assessing NOS understanding. Over 2 dozen instruments have appeared in the past half century. Choose your favorite acronym: VNOS, NOSS, NOST, COST, VOSTS, VASS, FAST, TOUS, TOES, TOSRA, WISP, at least (Lederman et al., 1998). Such tests carry risks, however. Most are based on a benchmark set of beliefs. Yet even experts disagree about many of the claims. The beliefs seem arbitrary, as critics have noted. Alternatively, one could adopt a more neutral, diagnostic posture, as other tests do. Here, the aim is merely to characterize student belief, or opinion. But this implies that there is no objective standard for measuring knowledge of NOS. The dilemma highlights a shared assumption — another sacred bovine? — that NOS is a set of beliefs and thus beyond fair, unbiased evaluation. Here, I profile an alternative perspective for evaluating NOS understanding (Allchin, 2011b). In evolution education, at least, biology teachers …

University Students' Views on the Nature of Science and Psychology

Students' understanding of the nature of science (NOS), and the degree to which they perceive their discipline to be part of science, are critical to their academic development in psychology. In Study 1, 650 first-year psychology students from three universities in Australia completed the Psychology as a Science (PAS) questionnaire, an adjective checklist relating to science and psychology, and the Science Knowledge and Attitudes (SKA) scale. Results confirmed the limited value of the PAS to identify components of the NOS, but indicated that students view psychology to be a science within a few weeks of the commencement of their study at university. Three factors underlying the SKA scale were identified: naïve view of science (NVS), social and cultural perspective (SCP), and knowledge of refutability (KR). In Study 2, 622 students at the University of Tasmania completed the SKA and items relating to their beliefs about studying. Scores on the three factors were correlated with beliefs about studying, scores on KR increased with years of study, and scores on NVS decreased with years of study. These data suggest that our educational practices do in fact lead to appropriate changes in students' NOS understanding in a manner consistent with the learning outcomes underpinning psychology graduate attributes.

Teaching Whole Science

Climategate. Erroneous links between the measles vaccine and autism. Revised mammogram recommendations. Suspect communication with coma patients. Ideally, science education prepares students to interpret such cases in the news. These cases, in particular, underscore the role of understanding nature of science (NOS), in contrast to just content. And they reflect a need for broad skills in analyzing the diverse features of reliability in scientific claims. One needs to teach Whole Science, not a pre-processed School Science, lacking in essential conceptual nutrients ( Sacred Bovines , last issue). But how? One could, of course, assemble a textbook on nature of science. Describe the various features and illustrate them with examples (McComas, 2008). Then test students on their ability to identify and explain the various principles (Lederman et al., 2002). It is a familiar pattern. Conventional and comfortable. But join me in questioning this sacred bovine: that one teaches most effectively –– and respects students most –– by simply feeding students the answers. Or voluminous class notes and review sheets. The most valuable NOS lessons may be a series of well-posed problems. Recent research has identified several key strategies for teaching nature of science, often reflecting general principles of effective learning. First, be explicit. For example, truly investigative activities –– not cookbook labs –– may introduce important concepts about the process of science: say, about sample size, sources of experimental error, or controls. But students generally miss the latent lessons. So, too, for hearing stories about famous biologists or episodes of discovery or science in the news. One needs to highlight the NOS themes. Without clearly articulating the ideas, students do not integrate them into their existing mental frameworks. Second, guide student reflection (Scharmann et al., 2005). Common constructivist approaches encourage first bringing prior conceptions to mind and then engaging them with discrepant …

Elementary teachers' pedagogical content knowledge for teaching the nature of science

AbstractAlthough teacher educators have achieved some success in improving teachers' understanding of the nature of science (NOS), helping teachers teach NOS has proved a much greater challenge. Currently, there are few examples in the literature of teachers who effectively teach NOS, and fewer still that rely on student outcomes as a measure of teachers' effectiveness. Much remains to be understood regarding the sources, nature, and development of teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in regard to NOS. Using S. Magnusson, J. Krajcik, and H. Borko's (1999) framework, we examined the PCK for NOS of three elementary teachers who have been successful in improving their students' understanding of NOS. We relied on interviews, questionnaires, classroom observations, and classroom artifacts collected over a 3‐year period to characterize their PCK for NOS. Although each had robust knowledge of instructional strategies for teaching NOS, teachers lacked the requisite knowledge of assessment that would provide a feedback loop to support continued development of their knowledge of learners and lead to improvement in their teaching of NOS. Our findings highlight a need for professional development that focuses on developing aspects of PCK for NOS such as teachers' knowledge of assessment as well as educative curriculum materials to support continued development of teachers' PCK for NOS in practice. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 95: 145–167, 2011

Developing Understanding of the Nature of Science Within a Professional Development Program for Inservice Elementary Teachers: Project Nature of Elementary Science Teaching

Establishing literacy in science is often linked to building knowledge about the Nature of Science (NOS). This paper describes and evaluates an inservice program designed to build elementary teachers’ understanding of NOS and an awareness of how NOS impacts science classroom instruction. Data sources consisted of surveys, action research plan documentation and classroom observations. Program participants tended to demonstrate some gains in understanding more about NOS and they linked positive experiences in the program to the explicit and activity-based NOS instruction provided. Yet, participation in the professional development project might not have been equally beneficial for all teachers. The understanding of NOS may have been restricted to certain NOS aspects, and the demonstration of the participants’ understanding of NOS may have been short-lived with a somewhat limited impact on sustainable, long-term NOS-based classroom instruction. Implications for designing NOS related professional development programs and suggestions for improvements to further develop teacher understanding of NOS are discussed.

The impact of explicit instruction on undergraduate students' understanding of the Nature of Science

This study investigated the influence of a short explicit-reflective Nature of Science Course (NOSC) on access students' ideas about the Nature of Science (NOS). Eighty five students registered for a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa went through a seven week course that deliberately sought to develop students' NOS ideas through history of science contexts. Fifty students (30 males and 20 females) completed pre- and post-intervention questionnaires assessing their cognitive and epistemic NOS understandings. Six students were interviewed. The results show that as a result of the course, students' NOS understandings shifted decisively from naïve to being reasonably informed. However, many students showed resistance to changing some of their NOS views, for example, on the issue of ‘proof’ in science. The course was found to have more impact on students' cognitive ideas than on their epistemic views. From the results, it appears that the effectiveness of using history of science to teach about NOS is affected by students' understanding of related science content. It is recommended that explicit NOS teaching must negate the ‘confounding influences’ operating on a student's conceptual ecological system.

Learning science through research apprenticeships: A critical review of the literature

AbstractScience education models for secondary and college students as well as K‐12 teachers have been dominated by classroom‐based approaches. Recently, research apprenticeships wherein learners worked with practicing scientists on authentic scientific research have become increasingly popular. The purpose of this critical review of the literature was to review and synthesize empirical studies that have explored learning outcomes associated with research apprenticeships for science learners. We reviewed 53 studies of scientific research apprenticeship experiences for secondary students, undergraduates and teachers, both pre‐service and in‐service. The review explored various learning outcomes associated with participation in research apprenticeships. These outcomes included effects of apprenticeship experiences on participant career aspirations, ideas about the nature of science (NOS), understandings of scientific content, confidence for doing science and intellectual development. The extant literature supported many of the presumed positive associations between apprenticeship experiences and desired learning outcomes, but findings related to some themes (e.g., NOS understandings) supported conflicting conclusions. Implications included importance of the length of the apprenticeship, need to explicitly place attention on desired outcomes, and engagement of participants. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 47:235–256, 2010

More from the Horse’s Mouth: What scientists say about science as a social practice

This research study sought to identify prominent features of the nature of science (NOS) embedded in authentic scientific inquiry. Fourteen well‐established scientists from different parts of the world, working in experimental or theoretical research, in both traditional fields such as astrophysics and rapidly growing research fields such as molecular biology, participated as the informants of the study. The descriptions of their practices revealed eight prominent categories of NOS features. In an earlier paper of ours, we have reported four categories under the two themes: (1) the methods of scientific investigation and (2) the role and status of scientific knowledge. In this paper, we focus on the remaining four categories under the theme: social dimensions of science. Scientists’ descriptions of their practices have ‘put some flesh on the bones’ of the assertion that science is socially and culturally embedded. These descriptions also have considerable potential for development into interesting case studies as teaching resources to enhance and enrich students’ understanding of NOS.

Improving Preservice Middle Grades Science Teachers’ Understanding of the Nature of Science Using Three Instructional Approaches

The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in preservice teachers’ understanding of the nature of science (NOS) as a result of four activity-based interventions that represent three instructional approaches used in a middle grades science methods course. Ten participants’ understanding of NOS and their perceptions about the activity-based interventions were investigated. Data were collected using open-ended questionnaires and in-depth interviews before and after the interventions. Written artifacts and recorded group discussions were collected during the interventions. The results of this study showed that inclusion of various approaches to teaching NOS can contribute to developing preservice teachers’ understanding of NOS. The activities complemented each other in the teaching of the NOS components. In addition, the preservice teachers perceived that the four interventions were helpful in improving their understanding of NOS and in preparing them for future teaching.

Turning Crisis into Opportunity: Enhancing student‐teachers’ understanding of nature of science and scientific inquiry through a case study of the scientific research in severe acute respiratory syndrome

Interviews with key scientists involved in research on severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), together with analysis of media reports and documentaries produced during and after the SARS epidemic, revealed many interesting aspects of nature of science (NOS) and authentic scientific inquiry. This novel insight into practice in the rapidly growing field of molecular biology was used in the development of instructional materials for use in the pre‐service and in‐service teacher education programme at The University of Hong Kong. The elements of NOS and scientific inquiry identified in the scientific research on SARS were explicitly emphasized in our instructional materials. The contemporary real‐life context of SARS was found to be effective in promoting student‐teachers’ understanding of NOS and scientific inquiry, particularly in terms of: the realization of inseparable links between science and the social, cultural, and political environment; deeper understanding of how science and technology impact on each other; and a richer appreciation of the processes of authentic scientific inquiry and the humanistic character of scientists. The effectiveness is attributed to immediacy, relevance, and familiarity, making the abstract tangible, personal experience of science history, and the powerful affective impact of the interviews with scientists.