Towards Greater Understandings of Scientific Practices in Science Education: An Analysis of the Publications

Abstract

Background: Educational guiding documents in Science Education (NRC, 2012; NGSS, 2013) have given great importance to Scientific Practices. Thus, a greater understanding of what the scientific community understands as Scientific Practices is relevant. Objectives: I) To analyse the understandings of the term Scientific Practices in Science Education publications of the last decade (2010-2019); II) to synthesize convergent and divergent points regarding the understandings of Scientific Practices in the literature; and III) to critically discuss trends among the understandings of Scientific Practices in the field of Science Education. Design: a qualitative investigation based on Okoli (2015) and Bardin (2011). Setting: 44 articles published in international Science Education journals in the last decade (2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015)(2016)(2017)(2018)(2019). Data collection and analysis: An inventory was filled out for each article in order to understand the use and understandings of the term Scientific Practices in the field. Results: Three categories emerged regarding the understandings: Articles that presented understandings of Scientific Practices aligned with the National Research Council (NRC) (D1); Articles that presented other understandings of Scientific Practices (D2), based on sociological, philosophical and historical references; and Articles that did not present their understandings of Scientific Practices (D3), although the term was used throughout the text. Conclusions: Understandings of Scientific Practices aligned with the NRC's discussions represent the dominant conceptualization among the research (59.1%), however clear and explicit definitions for Scientific Practices, as well as deepening the theoretical discussions of Scientific Practices is still required in Science Education publications due to the different understandings present in the field.