An investigation of Zimbabwe high school chemistry students' laboratory work–based images of the nature of science

Abstract

This study investigates the proximal and distal images of the nature of science (NOS) that A‐level students develop from their participation in chemistry laboratory work. We also explored the nature of the interactions among the students' proximal and distal images of the NOS and students' participation in laboratory work. Students' views of the NOS and the nature of their chemistry laboratory work were elicited through students' responses to an open‐ended questionnaire and semistructured interviews. The results suggest that students build some understandings of the NOS from their participation in laboratory work. Students' proximal NOS understandings appear to build into and interact with their understandings of the nature and practice of professional science. This interaction appears to be mediated by the nature of instruction. It is posited that each student's conceptual ecological system is replete with interactions, which govern attenuation of proximal understandings into distal images. Methodologically, the study illustrates how students' laboratory work–based proximal and distal images of the NOS can be identified and extracted through analyzing and interpreting their responses to protocols. Implications for A‐level Chemistry instruction and curriculum development are raised. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 43: 127–149, 2006

Profiles of freshman physics students' views on the nature of science

“…Finally, for the ''modelers,'' in case of a conflict between theory and experimental evidence, they realized that both theory and experimental procedure and data need scrutiny. This is in line with the findings of Vhurumuku et al (2006). In contrast, the outcome of the study by Ryder and Leach (2000) revealed that most of the European students in their sample suggested more weight should be given to experimental data (evidence) for the construction of scientific knowledge.…”

“…For instance, teaching the model of the atom requires a familiarization with the idea of the indivisible particles of Dalton and Thompson's discovery of the electron, to the nuclear atom of Rutherford and Bohr's orbital model. For the foundation students in the sample, comprising mainly black students, the similarity of the findings to those from a study of Zimbabwean students (Vhurumuku et al, 2006) may suggest a cultural influence on several aspects of views of the NOS (see also Sutherland & Dennick, 2002). An emphasis, across African cultures, on inclusiveness and consensus rather than competition (Nsamenang, 1999;Ramos, 2002;Venter, 2004), and a predominant culturally determined interaction pattern of cooperation (Jegede, 1997), may encourage the view of equal status of experimental data and theory in the construction of scientific knowledge, and thus highlight the need to reconsider both in case of a conflict.…”

“…Hogan (2000) suggested that distal images of science interact with students' proximal images of science (i.e., their views on the ways of developing their own understanding of science), and Vhurumuku, Holtman, Mikalsen, and Kolsto (2006) reported several ways in which these are related to each other. However, the relationship with students' proximal images of science is not applicable to our study because the majority of students in the sample had little or no hands-on experience with experimental work.…”

“…This finding contrasts markedly with the findings of Moss et al (2001) for North American science students, who emphasized the need for strictly following the scientific method, and even science teachers, who do not usually recognize the use of creativity and imagination in science . In contrast, it is notable that three-quarters of the sample of Zimbabwean pre-university students (Vhurumuku et al, 2006) who provided views on the nature of scientific observations suggested along ''Feyerabendian'' lines that such observations may come from a variety of sources including dreams, chance, creativity, and imagination. Finally, for the ''modelers,'' in case of a conflict between theory and experimental evidence, they realized that both theory and experimental procedure and data need scrutiny.…”

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“…Обзор научной литературы. Курс физики и другие общеобразовательные дисциплины в высшей школе ориентированы на решение задач развития у студентов навыков, необходимых для формирования самостоятельных высококвали-фицированных специалистов [Reid, 2007;Feisel, 2005;Vhurumuku, 2006]. Необходимыми каче-ствами профессионала являются способность и потребность последовательно и логически мыс-лить, планировать и организовывать работу, об-ращаться с приборами и гаджетами, уметь пере-нести эти навыки в будущую жизнь и работу.…”