WHAT IS SCIENCE - PRESERVICE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS CONCEPTIONS OF THE NATURE OF SCIENCE

Authors
Citation
Sk. Abell et Dc. Smith, WHAT IS SCIENCE - PRESERVICE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS CONCEPTIONS OF THE NATURE OF SCIENCE, International journal of science education, 16(4), 1994, pp. 475-487
Citations number
39
Categorie Soggetti
Education & Educational Research
ISSN journal
09500693
Volume
16
Issue
4
Year of publication
1994
Pages
475 - 487
Database
ISI
SICI code
0950-0693(1994)16:4<475:WIS-PE>2.0.ZU;2-N
Abstract
Science for All Americans declares that an understanding of the nature of science is one criterion of scientific literacy. Unfortunately pra ctising science teachers often misunderstand and misrepresent the natu re of their disciplines. In this study we have attempted to construct an understanding of preservice elementary teachers' views by analysing their written responses to questions about the nature of science. We used analytic induction to derive categories and themes from the data and then formulated generalizations from these themes. Our findings re veal that out students have realist and positivist views of the scient ific enterprise, and that they place little emphasis on the social or creative dimensions of the discipline. These preservice teachers will soon offer young children their first experiences with school science; their beliefs about the nature of science have implications for their science teaching and for their students' science learning.