Model building and a definition of science

Gilbert, Steven W.

doi:10.1002/tea.3660280107

Cited by 215 publications

(136 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Other research studies stress the potential of modelling in developing epistemic skills (e.g. Carey & Smith, 1993;Pluta, Chinn, & Duncan, 2011) and fostering productive epistemologies of science (Gilbert S.W., 1991;Schwarz & White, 2005). Further studies highlight the benefits of modelling for developing fundamental life skills, such as awareness of the semantic relation between theory and phenomena (Gilbert J.K., 2004;Greca & Moreira, 2000), metaphorical competencies which underlie every language (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980) and analogical causal reasoning (diSessa, 2014;Harrison & Treagust, 2000).…”

Section: Theoretical Framework and Research Questionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring students’ epistemological knowledge of models and modelling in science: results from a teaching/learning experience on climate change

Tasquier

Levrini

Dillon

2016

International Journal of Science Education

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The scientific community has been debating climate change for over two decades. In the light of certain arguments put forward by the aforesaid community, the EU has recommended a set of innovative reforms to science teaching such as incorporating environmental issues into the scientific curriculum, thereby helping to make schools a place of civic education. However, despite these European recommendations, relatively little emphasis is still given to climate change within science curricula.Climate change, although potentially engaging for students, is a complex topic that poses conceptual difficulties and emotional barriers, as well as epistemological challenges. Whilst the conceptual and emotional barriers have already been the object of several studies, students' reactions to the epistemological issues raised by climate changes have so far been rarely explored in science education research and thus are the main focus of this paper. This paper describes a study concerning the implementation of teaching materials designed to focus on the epistemological role of "models and the game of modelling" in science and particularly when dealing with climate change. The materials were implemented in a course of 15 hours (five 3-hour lessons) for a class of Italian secondary school students (grade 11; 16-17 years old). The purpose of the study is to investigate students' reactions to the epistemological dimension of the materials, and to explore if and how the material enabled them to develop their epistemological knowledge on models.

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Section: Theoretical Framework and Research Questionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring students’ epistemological knowledge of models and modelling in science: results from a teaching/learning experience on climate change

Tasquier

Levrini

Dillon

2016

International Journal of Science Education

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“…Scientists design models with a particular scientific purpose in mind, such as explaining, visualizing, or predicting the behaviour of a scientific phenomenon (Giere, 1990;Gilbert, 1991;Gilbert, et al, 1998;Justi & Gilbert, 2002;Schwartz & Lederman, 2008). Models cannot be completely accurate and are almost always tentative, in the sense that they are open to further revision and development (Crawford & Cullin, 2004).…”

Section: The Epistemological Status Of Models In Sciencementioning

confidence: 99%

The Relation between Students’ Epistemological Understanding of Computer Models and their Cognitive Processing on a Modelling Task

Sins

Savelsbergh

Joolingen

et al. 2009

International Journal of Science Education

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The relation between students' epistemological understanding of computer models and their cognitive processing on a modelling task AbstractWhile many researchers in science education have argued that students' epistemological understanding of models and of modelling processes would influence their cognitive processing on a modelling task, there has been little direct evidence for such an effect.Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relation between students' epistemological understanding of models and modelling and their cognitive processing (i.e. deep versus surface processing) on a modelling task. Twenty-six students, working in dyads, were observed while working on a computer-based modelling task in the domain of physics.Students' epistemological understanding was assessed on four dimensions (i.e. nature of models, purposes of models, process of modelling, and evaluation of models). Students' cognitive processes were assessed based on their verbal protocols, using a coding scheme to classify their types of reasoning. The outcomes confirmed the expected positive correlation between students' level of epistemological understanding and their deep processing (r = 0.40, p = 0.04), and the negative correlation between level of epistemological understanding and surface processing (r = -0.51, p = 0.008). From these results, we emphasise the necessity of considering epistemological understanding in research as well as in educational practice.

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“…Models are used in research in all scientific disciplines (Gilbert, 1991). Obviously, such models differ in terms of content, appearance and function, and can be categorised accordingly (see e.g., Black, 1962;Boulter & Buckley, 2000;Giere, 1991;Gilbert & Boulter, 1997;Harrison & Treagust, 2000).…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In particular, in some of our earlier work (De Vos, 1985;Van Driel & Verloop, 1999), we identified several common char-acteristics of scientific models on the basis of an analysis of the available literature. This literature consisted of publications from various domains, mainly the history and philosophy of science (e.g., Bertels & Nauta, 1969;Black, 1962;Giere, 1991;Hesse, 1966;Rothbart, 2004), and science education (e.g., Duit & Glynn, 1996;Gilbert, 1991;Gilbert & Boulter, 1997;Van Oers, 1988). In empirical studies, we have used these common features to develop and test educational materials, aimed at understanding the role and the nature of models in chemistry (De Vos, 1985;Van Hoeve-Brouwer, 1996), and to probe teacher's understanding of models and modelling in science (Van Driel & Verloop, 1999).…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Common Characteristics of Models in Present-day Scientific Practice

2007

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Teaching the use of models in scientific research requires a description, in general terms, of how scientists actually use models in their research activities. This paper aims to arrive at defining common characteristics of models that are used in present-day scientific research. Initially, a list of common features of models and modelling, based on the literature was compiled. Next, a questionnaire was developed, which consisted of 10 statements with which the common features of models were probed. A sample of 77 research papers from 'hard science' journals was drawn. The questionnaire was sent to the first author of the selected articles. The useful response was 24 (31%). From an analysis of the results, it was concluded that the consulted scientists more or less agreed with the initial list of common features of models and modelling. However, some characteristics were perceived differently by the respondents, or formulated in different terms. This has led us to revise some of the features in our list. It is recommended that in science curricula and science text books, more attention should be paid to modern uses of models (e.g., in the context of computer simulation and technological design), and that aspects of the nature of models (e.g., the relation between model and target, and possible limitations of a model), which are underexposed in education, are addressed more explicitly.

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Model building and a definition of science

Cited by 215 publications

References 7 publications

Exploring students’ epistemological knowledge of models and modelling in science: results from a teaching/learning experience on climate change

Exploring students’ epistemological knowledge of models and modelling in science: results from a teaching/learning experience on climate change

The Relation between Students’ Epistemological Understanding of Computer Models and their Cognitive Processing on a Modelling Task

Common Characteristics of Models in Present-day Scientific Practice

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