Eliciting students’ understanding of nature of science with text-based tasks: insights from new Korean high school textbooks

Abstract

Research on nature of science (NOS) have confirmed that students' understanding of NOS is best achieved by explicitly considering NOS a cognitive learning expectation and providing opportunities to reflect on it. However, little has been discussed on how to design and use tasks enhancing students' NOS understanding. In an attempt to fill this gap, we analysed the way NOS tasks are used in seven textbooks for a new subject 'scientific inquiry and experimentation' in Korea. Our analysis of 84 tasks led to three categories being identified: guiding to NOS ideas, expanding NOS understanding and thinking critically about NOS. Whereas the majority of the textbook tasks were used as guides to declarative NOS ideas, few tasks invited students to think critically about controversial aspects of NOS. Most tasks were pointed at the epistemic aspects related to scientific methods or knowledge, while the social aspects of science were seldom addressed. Besides, the number and diversity of NOS tasks varied significantly across different publishers. Based on these findings, we call for more strategic and systemic use of NOS tasks in science textbooks, including the use of diverse tasks in proper manners and sequences, as a crucial step to successful NOS instruction in schools.

Perceptions of Nature of Science Emerging in Group Discussions: a Comparative Account of Pre-service Teachers from Turkey and England

“…As such, the study contributes to the emerging research literature on FRA in NOS in science education (e.g. Erduran & Dagher, 2014;Irzik & Nola, 2011;MacDonald, 2017;Park et al, 2020). FRA wheel can also be said to have some methodological utility in guiding analysis of verbal transactions as well as an instructional resource, facilitating discussions about NOS.…”

“…Considerable number of studies on NOS in science education have now focused on FRA as an underlying framework (e.g. Authors, 2019;McDonald, 2017;Park et al, 2020). In their book-length account of FRA to NOS, Erduran and Dagher (2014) defines NOS as a cognitive-epistemic and socialinstitutional system.…”

Investigating Scientists’ Views of the Family Resemblance Approach to Nature of Science in Science Education

“…Following on from this discussion, closer attention is paid to FRA to frame the empirical study with scientists presented subsequently in the paper. Although the empirical base of research on FRA in science education has been growing (e.g., Cheung, 2020;Erduran & Kaya, 2018;Erduran et al, 2020;McDonald, 2017;Park et al, 2020a;Park et al, 2020b), there is limited understanding of the extent to which FRA coheres with scientists' own depictions about NOS. Hence, an empirical study was conducted with scientists to investigate their views about FRA.…”

Does Research on Nature of Science and Social Justice Intersect? Exploring Theoretical and Practical Convergence for Science Education

“…There is now a growing body of research focusing on FRA in science education (e.g. Cheung 2020; Couso and Simarro 2020; Park et al 2020). FRA-based NOS covers a range of aspects of science including aims and values, methods, practices, knowledge as well as social-institutional dimensions of science.…”