Views On Science-Technology-Society Research Articles

Preservice Science Teachers’ Views on Science-Technology-Society

The aim of this study is to investigate the views of pre-service science teachers on Science-Technology-Society (STS). In the research, a descriptive research method was used and data were collected using the Views on Science-Technology-Society (VOSTS) Questionnaire. In general, the results of this study revealed that pre-service science teachers have developed positive views about some STS components such as meaning of science and technology. The results have also revealed that pre-service science teachers think that there is influence of not only science/technology on society but also of society on science/technology. According to many pre-service science teachers, scientific knowledge may change, and their views about the fact that theories are not laws, shows a positive development about the nature of scientific knowledge through the science teacher education program.

The Views of Pre-service Classroom Teachers about Nature of Technology

The aim of this study is to determine the views of pre-service classroom teachers about nature of technology, the relationship between technology and science, the relationship between technology and society, and social construction of technology. Pre-service classroom teachers have been joined in this research. In order to determine the pre-service teachers’ views about the nature of technology ″Views on Science-Technology-Society (VOSTS) which was designed by Aikenhead, Fleming and Ryan (1989) instrument was used. Seventeen questions has been selected form VOSTS and adopted to the Turkish. At the end of the research, 4th class pre-service classroom teachers have more realistic views on relationship between technology and science, influence of technology on society than other pre-service classroom teachers. 3rd class pre-service classroom teachers have more realistic views on important of technology for research and development than other pre-service classroom teachers. It has been reached that pre-service teachers have misconceptions about the nature of technology. Although the pre-service teachers have acceptable views about definition of technology, these pre-service classroom teachers have realistic views about influence of society on technology. However, the pre-service teachers have inadequate views about relationship between technology and science, because the pre-service teachers not know the technology advancing as independent from science.

COMPARISON BETWEEN SCIENCE TEACHERS' AND PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS' CONTENT KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE NATURE OF SCIENCE

Purpose: In science education, it is among the most important purposes that students become primarily scientific literate individuals. Scientific literacy is associated with deep understanding of “Nature of Science [NOS] and scientific inquiry processes. At this point, teachers' adequate level content knowledge about the nature of science gain importance because of responsibility of their students' getting contemporary understanding of the nature of science. In this study, it is aimed to determine and compare the status of pre-service science teachers and Science and Technology teachers' content knowledge about the nature of science. Method: This study is a descriptive model in which qualitative research techniques are used. In 2009-2010 education year, 89 pre-service teachers who are studying in 4th class in one of the leading universities in science education in Turkey and 64 Science and Technology teachers who are working in small city in Turkey participated in the study. The situation of the knowledge of the participants about the nature of science is determined using “Views about Nature of Science (BDYG) questionnaire which is adapted to Turkish from “VOSTS (Views on Science-Technology-Society). In order to analyze the answers of participants to the questions in BDYG questionnaire, every questionnaire item placed under every question is encoded by 10 field experts as Realistic , Has Merit and Naive . After every item that pre-service and in-service science teachers chose in BDYG questionnaire is analyzed, frequencies and percentages for each item are calculated in accordance with the descriptive analysis. Results and Suggestion: According to the results of the analysis, pre-service science and in-service teachers conducted in research are found to have a certain level of content knowledge about the nature of science. However, that level of knowledge they have about the nature of science does not sufficiently represent a contemporary vision at an adequate level. Moreover, as one of the most important results of the research, widespread realistic and naive views of the in-service teachers resulted from BDYG questionnaire are quite parallel with pre-service teachers in same categories. The realistic views that participants have in high percentage and that are parallel to each other are on tentativeness of scientific mistakes in scientific studies, “precision and uncertainty in scientific knowledge, “influence of society on scientist and “defining science. Besides, both participant groups have same level naive views on “characteristics of hypothesis, theories and laws, “the epistemological status of laws, hypotheses and theories and “the nature of scientific models issues. In this context, it is thought that both groups should take field education about nature of science. This education, for pre-service science teachers, can be through lessons related to science and nature of science which are given in their university education and for in service teachers, through in-service education and seminars from which every teacher can get benefit. Key Words: Content knowledge about the nature of science, Pre-service science teacher, Science and Technology teacher

Student Understanding of Scientific Hypotheses, Theories & Laws: Exploring the influence of a non-majors college introductory Biology course

Although an important part of scientific literacy, most students hold misconceptions regarding the nature of science (NOS). We investigated the influence of a nonmajors' introductory biology course on college students' understanding of NOS in the context of instructor's NOS conceptions and instructional practices. Five instructors and 287 students were administered Views on ScienceTechnol ogySociety (VOSTS) questionnaire. Students took VOSTS as prepost tes t. All instructors and selected students were interviewed to corroborate VOSTS responses. Selected class sessions of all instructors were video recorded and transcribed to document instructional styles and communication of NOS. Results indicate that in some areas of NOS the course impacted the students negatively, in others there was no impact, while in still others the impact varied by instructor. Whether negative or positive, several instances indicate that the course did impact student understanding. Here, we focus on change in student understanding with regard to the relationships and distinctions between scientific hypotheses, theories and laws.

The development of an instrument to assess science students' views on the social responsibility of scientists

This paper reports on the development of an instrument which was used to gather information on the views of science students on the social responsibility of scientists. The methodology is based on a “Views on Science-Technology-Society (VOSTS)” instrument which was developed in Canada. It involves three phases, employing interviews and free response and fixed response questionnaires, respectively. Qualitative data analysis at each stage of the development of the instrument provided the input for the following stage. Participants were drawn over a two year period mainly from chemistry students at various levels of academic study at the University of South Africa. Procedures are described separately for each of the three phases in the development of the instrument and are elucidated by actual findings abstracted during the development process. The final questionnaire statements cover topics in the fields of education, science, technology and society, the scientist as individual and the scientific enterprise. They include statements on scientific freedom, the technological imperative, science in Africa, women in science, whistleblowing, education of the public and the role of science students in society.

Do Student Attitudes toward Science Change during a General Education Chemistry Course?

The importance of educating people to live in our increasingly science- and technology-rich world is well established. Many institutions require students to take one or more courses in science. Some nonscience majors are intrigued by this opportunity, while others are less inclined to take science classes. This project used a mixed-methods approach to investigate students' attitudes towards science at the beginning and end of the course. Selected items from the Views on Science–Technology–Society (VOSTS) survey were used and interviews with selected students were conducted. Statistically significant changes in attitude were noted for items that were directly related to course content.

Issues in Survey Assessments of STS Courses

This study presents the circuitous route taken in an attempt to identify an assessment mechanism for evaluating the impact of STS courses. After initially developing a survey that faculty felt only allowed for the measurement of student opinions about the impact of required STS general education courses, the faculty at Clemson University identified Aikenhead and Ryan's Views on Science-Technology-Society (VOSTS) as an instrument that, when used with the scoring guide created in this project, might be able to assess the sophistication of students views about science and technology in society. The results from administering the pre- and post-VOSTS surveys in one STS course revealed no significant differences when comparing the sophistication of students' views about STS before and after the course. These findings demonstrate that, among other considerations discussed in the manuscript, it will be difficult to find a way of assessing STS courses that can be used for the diverse courses meeting the requirement.

First-Year College Students’ Conflict with Religion and Science

This study took place during a First Year Seminar course where 20 incoming college freshmen studied the central topic of the nature of science within the context of biological evolution. The instructor researched students’ understandings in the nature of science as they progressed through the course by examining a variety of qualitative and quantitative data including class writings, pre- and post-test selected items from the VOSTS (Views on Science-Technology-Society), and interviews. The intended outcomes of the course were to reduce the number of student misconceptions in the nature of science and to ease student apprehension when learning about evolution. Data were analyzed to determine whether students were moving toward a more generally accepted idea of the nature of science or toward another type of misconception.

Understanding the Nature of Scientific Enterprise (NOSE) through a Discourse with Its History: The Influence of an Undergraduate ‘History of Science’ Course

An appropriate understanding of the nature of the scientific enterprise (NOSE) is a key element of scientific literacy and can arguably be influenced through an exploration of the history of science. An elective, undergraduate History of Science course was organized in the form of small-group discussion-based inquiries into the history of science from ancient to modern times. Group discussions focused on STATEMENTS OF CRITICAL SIGNIFICANCE (SOCS) prepared by individual students on assigned readings prior to each class meeting. Small-group discussions were followed by a synthesis, facilitated by the instructor, of points raised in SOCS and other ideas central to the reading. The overarching goal of these activities was to help students see the multifaceted nature of the scientific enterprise in the context of social, political, cultural, and religious milieu of the time period and the geographic setting within which specific scientific activities and developments took place. The impact of this course on student understanding of the NOSE was assessed through the use of VIEWS ON SCIENCE-TECHNOLOGY-SOCIETY (VOSTS) instrument administered as pre- and post-test. Qualitative data regarding student understanding of the NOSE were furnished by the final exam on the NOSE written in the form of SOCS at the end of semester. Results based on four semesters of the course offering indicate modest gains in student understanding of specific aspects of the NOSE. They are discussed, along with the usefulness of small-group, discussion-based inquiries into the history of science as a way of enhancing scientific literacy during undergraduate science education.

The development and use of an instrument to assess students' attitude to the study of chemistry

This paper reports on aspects of a three-phase study whose aim was to gather information on undergraduates' responses to the study of science. The emphasis of this paper is on methodological issues arising from considerations of how to measure and analyse data on attitudes. The study draws on the methodology employed in an earlier study undertaken in Canada, the Views on Science-Technology-Society (VOSTS) study, applying the methodology in a new context. The first two phases involved the development and validation of an appropriate research instrument. The third phase involved using the instrument with students in the first year of study at a South African University. In additional to the quantitative data gathered, the students' responses on the instrument were used to develop in-depth 'profiles' of particular groups of students. This technique proved particularly effective in identifying areas for possible remedial action.

The Development and Use of an Instrument to Assess Students' Attitudes to the Study of Science

This paper reports on aspects of a three-phase study whose aim was to gather information on undergraduates responses to the study of science. The emphasis of this paper is on the methodological issues arising from considerations of how to measure and analyse data on attitudes. The study draws on the methodology employed in an earlier study undertaken in Canada, the Views on Science-Technology-Society (VOSTS) study, applying the methodology in a new context. The first two phases involved the development and validation of an appropriate research instrument. The third phase involved using the instrument with students in the first year of study at Wits University. In addition to the quantitative data gathered, the students' responses on the instrument were used to develop in-depth ‘profiles’ of particular groups of students.

The reliability of some VOSTS items when used with preservice secondary science teachers in England

A selection of Views on Science–Technology–Society (VOSTS) items was made and administered to a group of 29 postgraduate trainee science teachers. Two sections of VOSTS were addressed: VOSTS 1 (Defining Science and Technology) and VOSTS 9 (Epistemology). Reliability was determined by a cross-tabulation procedure following a retest. All 27 items selected were generally found to be reliable, although when put to a severe treatment, 24 of 27 items were found to be reliable. A cluster analysis of the responses was also carried out: Two main clusters were obtained for VOSTS 1 and three for VOSTS 9. The findings are discussed, compared with those from the Canadian study, and reviewed in the context of professional development of science teachers. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 35: 53-71, 1998.

An exploratory study of the knowledge base for science teaching

The purpose of this study was to describe the knowledge base of a group of science teachers in terms of their knowledge of the structure, function, and development of their disciplines, and their understanding of the nature of science. The study also aimed to relate the teachers' knowledge base to their level of education, years of teaching experience, and the class level(s) that they teach. Twenty inservice science teachers were selected to respond to a modified version of the Views on Science–Technology–Society (VOSTS) questionnaire to assess their understanding of the nature of science. The teachers then constructed concept maps and were interviewed. The concept maps were scored and the interviews analyzed to assess teachers' knowledge of the structure, function, and development of their disciplines. The teachers' knowledge base was found to be lacking in all respects. Teachers held several naive views about the nature of science and did not demonstrate adequate knowledge and understanding of the structure, function, and development of their disciplines. Moreover, the teachers' knowledge base did not relate to their years of teaching experience, the class level(s) that they teach, and their level of education. It was reasoned that teacher preparation programs are not helping teachers develop the knowledge base needed for teaching science. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 34: 673–699, 1997.

A new scoring procedure for the Views on Science‐Technology‐Society instrument

With the rise of Science‐Technology‐Society (STS) within the K‐16 science curriculum, helping students develop an understanding of the nature of science and technology, and their interactions in society, has become a goal of science instruction. Use of instrumentation with ‘empirically developed’ multiple‐choice items, such as the Views on Science‐‐Technology‐Society (VOSTS), has been proposed as a means for overcoming the ‘immaculate perception’ difficulty in instruments used in the past to assess the epistemology and sociology of science. However, as originally developed and implemented, the VOSTS did not lend itself to test‐‐retest comparisons and hypothesis testing using inferential statistical procedures. This paper describes the development of a scoring procedure that would allow for such comparisons, and the subsequent refinement of the scoring through a re‐analysis of VOSTS data from the initial application. If limitations associated with VOSTS item selection and categorization of VOSTS multiple‐c...

Views about science — technology — society interactions held by college students in general education physics and sts courses

AbstractThis study examined whether and to what extent a general education STS and physics courses helped college students build more informed, realistic views about the interactions among science, technology, and society. Two samples took part in the study, one consisting of 138 college students enrolled in a general education STS course, STS 200‐Critical Issues in Science, Technology and Society, and the other comprising 122 college students enrolled in a general education physics course, PHYS 001‐The Science of Physics, at a large eastern land grant university. Pretest and posttest data were collected using 16 multiple‐choice items selected from the 114 items in the Views on Science‐Technology‐Society (VOSTS) item pool. The findings for each of the 16 VOSTS items were treated descriptively. Additionally, a special scoring procedure was devised for the VOSTS items to allow the use of inferential statistics. The STS students moved toward more “realistic” views of STS interactions on a number of VOSTS items and toward more “naive” views on other VOSTS items. The findings supported the value of general education STS courses. However, they also suggested that courses like STS 200 have room for improvement. The PHYS 001 course had almost no impact on students' views of STS interactions. It should not be expected that college general education science courses, such as PHYS 001, will help students develop more adequate, realistic understandings of the STS interactions. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Computer Inclination of Students and Teachers in Relation to Their STS Views

The computer inclination (CI) of 881 eleventh-grade students and of their 181 teachers in relation to their Science-Technology-Society (STS) views was assessed in randomly selected high schools in British Columbia using a two-part questionnaire: a short, modified version of the Survey of Attitudes Toward Learning About and Working With Computers for the CI, and a condensed form of the Views on Science-Technology-Society (VOSTS) Inventory for the STS views. Significant differences between the computer inclinations of non-STS and STS students and between the STS views of non-STS and STS teachers and students in the “attitude” category were found, but there were no differences between other subgroups on these dimensions. Computer Inclination Indices (CII) and Science/Technology Indices (STx) have been defined and used for the elucidation of possible correlations between the CIIs and the STxs. It is argued that the CIs and STS views of both students and teachers should be assessed and taken into consideration by the educational policy makers and developers of future science curricula and teacher training programs, if the goals of the currently sought reforms in science education are to be attained.

Students' Preconceptions about the Epistemology of Science: A Comparison of Some Nigerian and Candian Students

ABSTRACTThis study attempted to determine the preconceptions of the nature of science held by two groups of grade 11 and 12 secondary school students. The first group consists of 460 randomly selected grade 11 students from Enugu township in eastern Nigeria. The second group consists of 2000 grades 11 and 12 Canadian secondary school students. The preconceptions of both groups were assessed using 15 selected items drawn from the Views-On-Science-Technology Society (VOSTS) instrument developed by Aikenhead, Ryan and Fleming (1989). In comparison with their Canadian counterparts, the Nigerian subjects appear to demonstrate a better understanding of the meaning of science though sometimes their views are rather disparate and inconsistent. On the other hand, the Canadian subjects seem to appreciate the place and value of science and technology for society than their Nigerian counterparts. To some extent both groups of subjects show evidence of collateral learning and alternative conceptions of natural phenomena. On the basis of the findings of this study, it is suggested that science educators should take due cognisance of such worldview presuppositions.