In defense of modest goals when teaching about the nature of science

Matthews, Michael R.

doi:10.1002/(sici)1098-2736(199802)35:2<161::aid-tea6>3.0.co;2-q

Cited by 165 publications

(110 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Consequently, these students seemed to be vulnerable to pseudo-science either because they held a poor grasp of NOS (Matthews, 1998) or because the belief-bias prevented them from using accepted knowledge on NOS to critically assess pseudo-scientific situations in which they believe. …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, it provides a window into the individuals' epistemological perspectives, since a good grasp of NOS is essential to differentiate science from pseudo-science (Martin, 1971;Matthews, 1998). On the other hand, we suggest that the adherence to the precepts of pseudoscience may restrict the use of arguments based on NOS and constrain its full understanding.…”

mentioning

confidence: 90%

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Pseudo‐science: A meaningful context for assessing nature of science

Afonso

Gilbert

2009

International Journal of Science Education

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 90%

Pseudo‐science: A meaningful context for assessing nature of science

Afonso

Gilbert

2009

International Journal of Science Education

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“…Given the importance and recognition in recent years (Matthews, 1998) of the role played by history and philosophy of science (HPS) in science education, it would be of interest to examine whether new textbooks include more HPS details. Table 3 shows that, although the mean score (points) of the textbooks in the different periods increased from 1966 onward, the differences are not statistically significant (t-test).…”

Section: Do Textbooks Present the Periodic Table As A ''Baconian Indumentioning

confidence: 99%

A reconstruction of development of the periodic table based on history and philosophy of science and its implications for general chemistry textbooks

Brito¹,

Rodríguez

Níaz

2004

J. Res. Sci. Teach.

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The objectives of this study are: (a) elaboration of a history and philosophy of science (HPS) framework based on a reconstruction of the development of the periodic table; (b) formulation of seven criteria based on the framework; and (c) evaluation of 57 freshman college-level general chemistry textbooks with respect to the presentation of the periodic table. The historical reconstruction of the periodic table showed that the periodicity of the elements could be construed as an inductive generalization or as a function of the atomic theory. There is considerable controversy with respect to the nature of Mendeleev's contribution, and various alternatives are discussed: ordered domain; empirical law; and a theory with limited explanatory power. Accommodation of the elements according to their physicochemical properties is considered to be the major contribution of the periodic table by all textbooks, followed by contrapredictions of previously unknown elements (30 textbooks), and novel predictions (corrections of atomic mass) of known elements (10 textbooks). The relative importance of accommodation and prediction within an HPS framework is generally ignored. Few textbooks have attempted to explore the possible cause of periodicity in the table and very few textbooks have explored the nature of Mendeleev's contribution. The development of the periodic table as a sequence of heuristic principles in the form of a convincing argument has been ignored. The textbook approach of emphasizing that the development of the periodic table was an inductive generalization, and that Mendeleev had no model or theory, does not facilitate the spirit of critical inquiry that led the scientists to grapple with alternative interpretations, conflicts, and controversies. It is concluded that the development of the periodic table went through a continual critical appraisal (conflict and controversy), in which scientists presented various tentative theoretical ideas to understand the observed phenomena. ß

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“…Thus, the topic of NOS can be explored along with the aspects that motivate students to adopt a positive attitude to science, or along with aspects that help solve complex problems such as socioscientific issues. In this sense, Matthews (1998) states that the objectives of introducing history and philosophy of science to work on NOS aspects need to be modest. The author believes that although such an approach can humanize science and make teaching more meaningful, we cannot expect students to solve major epistemological debates.…”

Section: Azevedo and Scarpamentioning

confidence: 99%

A Systematic Review of Studies about Conceptions on the Nature of Science in Science Education

Azevedo¹,

Scarpa²

2017

RBPEC

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The nature of science (NOS) has been highlighted as an important component of science education, since scientific knowledge can contribute to decision-making by contemporary citizens. There are few quantitative review studies in the field of science education. Given the importance of the topic, and the need to organize and understand the knowledge produced by research on conceptions of NOS, we carried out a systematic review based on the principles of PRISMA, in order to quantify and initiate reflection on (i) the publication trends of articles on NOS conceptions (ii) the main characteristics of these articles, (iii) the NOS aspects frequently cited as important for teaching, and (iv) the main strategies used to access NOS conceptions. We analyzed 396 articles published up to February 2015 in Teaching and Education journals listed on WebQualis 2013. Our systematic review represented an initial effort to present an overview of the area, and enabled us to identify research trends and gaps. Investigational efforts are needed to investigate NOS conceptions in the Brazilian context that are associated with the teaching of specific disciplines. We found twenty-five NOS aspects reported to be important for teaching, addressed part of the debate on consensus and the lists of NOS aspects, and presented general characteristics of the main questionnaires used to investigate NOS conceptions.

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In defense of modest goals when teaching about the nature of science

Cited by 165 publications

References 31 publications

Pseudo‐science: A meaningful context for assessing nature of science

Pseudo‐science: A meaningful context for assessing nature of science

A reconstruction of development of the periodic table based on history and philosophy of science and its implications for general chemistry textbooks

A Systematic Review of Studies about Conceptions on the Nature of Science in Science Education

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