Students' development of NOS understanding: Integrating a historical case study with the revising of models.
Abstract: An understanding of the nature of science (NOS) is critical to scientific literacy. The importance of teaching NOS is reiterated in current science education reform efforts. The Next Generation Science Standards recommend two ways of teaching NOS concepts: 1) providing students with opportunities to engage in and reflect on scientific practices and 2) incorporating instruction on historical case studies that illustrate NOS concepts (NGSS Lead States, 2013). For this study, we designed an activity that integrates a historical case study with the practice of revising models and examined the impact on students’ thoughts about the nature of science. Data from four classrooms were collected and analyzed. Our findings showed shifts in students’ understanding of the NOS theme: Scientific knowledge is open to revision in light of new evidence. We discuss implications of this study for future research and the development of guidelines for curriculum development and instruction for effective teaching of nature of science.
Jasti, C.,* Wallon, R.C.,* & Hug, B. (2016, April). Interactive poster paper presentation at the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) Annual International Conference, Baltimore, MD.
*Conference presenters
