Nature of science, scientific and geoscience models: Examining students and teachers’ views

Joana  Torres; Sara  Moutınho; Clara  Vasconcelos

doi:10.36681/

Authors

Joana Torres University of Porto, Faculty of Sciences, Earth Sciences Institute, Porto-PORTUGAL
Sara Moutınho University of Porto, Faculty of Sciences, Earth Sciences Institute, Porto-PORTUGAL
Clara Vasconcelos University of Porto, Faculty of Sciences, Earth Sciences Institute, Porto-PORTUGAL

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36681/

Keywords:

Nature of Science, Scientific Models, Geoscience Education, Science Teachers’ Views, High School Students’ Views

Abstract

This study investigates Portuguese science teachers’ and Portuguese high school students’ views regarding nature of science, scientific models and Geoscience models and explores the relations between their views. It also examines how Portuguese science teachers value and use models in science classroom. A survey was applied to 145 science teachers and 415 students of the last year of secondary school, who answered to 14 multiple choice questions. Descriptive analyses showed that teachers and students hold intermediate views regarding nature of science and scientific models. Some errors were also detected concerning Geoscience models. T-test analyses showed significant differences between teachers and students’ views, as teachers gave globally more informed answers. Authors considered that more attention should be given to teachers training regarding those issues and that more research is needed in order to understand how teachers deal with nature of science teaching and how they value and use models in classes.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abd-El-Khalick, F., Bell, R. L., & Lederman, N. G. (1998). The nature of science and instructional practice: Making the unnatural natural. Science knowledge, 82, 417-436.

Abd-El-Khalick, F. (2006). Over and over again: College students’ views of nature of science. In L.B. Flick & N. G. Lederman (Eds.), Scientific inquiry and Nature of Science (pp. 389-425). The Netherlands: Springer.

Aikenhead, G. S., & Ryan, A. G. (1992). The Development of a New Instrument: “Views on Science-Technology-Society” (VOSTS). Science Education, 76(5), 477-491.

Bell, R. L., Blair, L. M., Crawford, B. A., & Lederman, N. G. (2003). Just do it? Impact of a science apprenticeship program on high school students’ understandings of the nature of science and scientific inquiry. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 40, 487-509.

Bell, R. L. (2006). Perusing Pandora’s box. Exploring the what, when and how of nature of science instruction. In L.B. Flick & N. G. Lederman (Eds.), Scientific inquiry and Nature of science (pp. 389-425). The Netherlands: Springer.

Bolacha, E., Moita de Deus, H., & Fonseca, P. E. (2012). The concept of analogue modelling in Geology: An approach to mountain building. In C. Bruguière, A. Tiberghien & P. Clément (Eds.), E-Book Proceedings of the ESERA 2011 Conference: Science learning and Citizenship. Part 5 (co-ed. Laurence Maurines and Andreas Redfors), (pp. 2-8).

Lyon, France: European Science Education Research Association.

Buaraphan, K. (2012). Embedding Nature of Science in Teaching About Astronomy and Space. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 21, 353-369.

Crawford, B. A., & Cullin, M. J. (2004). Supporting prospective teachers' conceptions of modelling in science. International Journal of Science Education, 26, 1379-1401.

Giere, R. N. (2004). How models are used to represent reality. Philosophy of Science, 71, 742- 752.

Giere, R. N. (2010). An agent-based conception of models and scientific representation. Synthese, 172, 269-281.

Gobert, J. D., O’Dwyer, L., Horwitz, P., Buckley, B. C., Levy, S. T., & Wilensky, U. (2011). Examining the Relationship Between Students’ Understanding of the Nature of Models and Conceptual Learning in Biology, Physics, and Chemistry. International Journal of Science Education, 33, 653-684.

Halloun, I. A. (2007). Mediated Modeling in Science Education. Science & Education, 16, 653-697.

Hodson, D. (1998). Teaching and Learning Science: Towards a personalized approach. Buckingham: Open University Press.

Jee, B. D., Uttal, D. H., Gentner, D., Manduca, C., Shipley. T. F., Tikoff, B., Ormand, C. J., & Sagerman, B. (2010). Commentary: Analogical thinking in geoscience education. Journal of Geoscience Education, 58, 2-13.

Justi, R. (2009). Learning how to model in science classroom: key teacher’s role in supporting the development of students’ modelling skills. Educación química, 20, 32-40.

Justi, R., & Gilbert, J. K. (2002). Modelling, teachers’ views on the nature of modelling, and implications for the education of modellers. International Journal of Science Education, 24, 369-387.

Justi, R., & Gilbert, J. K. (2003).Teachers' views on the nature of models. International Journal of Science Education, 25, 1369-1386.

Khan, S. (2011).What’s Missing in Model-Based Teaching. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 22, 535–560.

Khishfe, R. (2012). Relationship between Nature of Science Understandings and Argumentation Skills: A Role for Counterargument and Contextual Factors. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 49, 489-514.

Lederman, N. G. (1992). Students’ and Teachers’ Conceptions of the Nature of Science: A Review of the Research. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 29, 331-359.

Lederman, N. G., Abd-El-Khalick, F., Bell, R. L., & Schwartz, R. S. (2002). Views of Nature of Science Questionnaire: Toward Valid and Meaningful Assessment of Learners’ Conceptions of Nature of Science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39, 497- 521.

Liu, S., & Norman G. Lederman (2007). Exploring Prospective Teachers’ Worldviews and Conceptions of Nature of Science. International Journal of Science Education, 29, 1281-1307.

Matthews, M. R. (1989). History, philosophy, and science teaching: A brief review. Synthese, 80, 1-7.

Matthews, M. R. (1990). History, philosophy and science teaching: What can be done in an undergraduate course? Studies in Philosophy and education, 10, 93-97.

Matthews, M. R. (2007). Models in science and in science education: An introduction. Science & Education, 16, 647-652.

McComas, W. F. (1998). The principal elements of the nature of science: Dispelling the myths. In W. McComas (Ed.), The nature of science in science education: Rationales and strategies (pp. 53-70). The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

McComas, W. F., Clough, M. P., & Almzroa, H. (1998). The role and character of the nature of science in science education. In W. McComas (Ed.), The nature of science in science education: Rationales and strategies (pp. 3-39). The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

McComas, W. F., & Olson, J. (1998). The nature of science in international science education standards documents. In W. McComas (Ed.), The nature of science in science education: Rationales and strategies (pp. 41-52). The Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Oh, P. S., & Oh, S. J. (2011). What teachers of science need to know about models: An overview. International Journal of Science Education, 33, 1109-1130.

Praia, J., Gil-Pérez, D., & Vilches, A. (2007). O papel da Natureza da Ciência na educação para a cidadania. Ciência e Educação, 13, 141-156.

Reis, P., & Galvão, C. (2004). The Impact of Socio-Scientific Controversies in Portuguese Natural Science Teachers’ Conceptions and Practices. Research in Science Education, 34, 153–171.

Schwarz, C. V., Reiser, B. J., Davis, E. A., Kenyon, L. Achér, A., Fortus, D., Shwartz, Y.,

Hug, B., & Krajcik, J. (2009). Developing a Learning Progression for Scientific Modeling: Making Scientific Modeling Accessible and Meaningful for Learners. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 46, 632-654.

Smith, K. V., Loughran , J., Berry, A., & Dimitrakopoulos, C. (2012). Developing Scientific Literacy in a Primary School, International Journal of Science Education, 34, 127-152.

Torres, J., Moura, R., Vasconcelos, C., & Amador, F. (2013a). Nature of Science, models and earth structure model: Portuguese prospective science teachers’ views. In SGEM2013

Conference Proceedings, Vol. 2, (pp. 461-468). Albena, Bulgaria:13th International Multidisciplinary Scientific Geoconference.

Torres, J., Moutinho, S., Almeida, A., & Vasconcelos, C. (2013b). Portuguese science teachers’ views about Nature of Science and Scientific Models. IX Congreso Internacional sobre Investigación en la Didática de las Ciencias. Número extra, pp. 3541-3546. Girona, Spain: Enseñanza de las Ciencias

Wang, Z., Chi, S., Hu, K., & Chen, W. (2014). Chemistry Teachers’ Knowledge and Application of Models. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 23, 211–226.