Belief,Knowledge and Understanding

This article discusses how to deal with the relations between different cultural perspectives in classrooms, based on a proposal for considering understanding and knowledge as goals of science education, inspired by Dewey’s naturalistic humanism. It thus combines educational and philosophical interests. In educational terms, our concerns relate to how science teachers position themselves in multicultural classrooms. In philosophical terms, we are interested in discussing the relations between belief, understanding, and knowledge under the light of Dewey’s philosophy. We present a synthesis of Dewey’s theory of inquiry through his naturalistic humanism and discuss its implications for the concepts of belief, understanding, and knowledge, as well as for the goals of science teaching. In particular, we highlight problems arising in the context of possible conflicts between scientific and religious claims in the school environment that result from totalitarian positions. We characterize an individual’s position as totalitarian if he or she takes some way of thinking as the only one capable of expressing the truth about all that exists in the world, lacks open-mindedness to understand different interpretative perspectives, and attempts to impose her or his interpretation about the facts to others by violent means or not. From this stance, any other perspective is taken to be false a priori and, accordingly, as a putative target to be suppressed or adapted to the privileged way of thinking. We argue, instead, for a more fallibilist evaluation of our own beliefs and a more respectful appraisal of the diversity of students’ beliefs by both students and teachers.     

Belief, Knowledge, and Science Education

Epistemological questions about the nature of knowledge and belief underlie many of the controversial issues fundamental to research and practice in science teaching and learning. In an effort to bring some clarity to questions of knowledge and belief embedded within science education research and teaching, we first describe the distinctions drawn between knowledge and belief in both philosophy and educational psychology, each of which have shaped the various definitions employed within science education. This discussion is followed by an examination of the distinctions drawn between knowledge and belief employed by three groups of science educators: the traditional distinctions of the foundationalists that are co-opted by researchers focusing on teacher thinking/cognition, the nonfoundational epistemology of the fallibilists and the evolution educators working from this framework, and the radical constructivists who react to and attempt to move past the limitations of these other positions. In this analysis, we explicate the different ways in which knowledge and belief are understood and operationalized in a broad spectrum of research, we describe the theoretical and philosophical assumptions underlying these approaches, and we explore the important areas of contention (both theoretical and empirical) surrounding each of these distinctions.     

Knowledge,Belief, and Science Education

This article intends to show that the defense of “understanding” as one of the major goals of science education can be grounded on an anti-reductionist perspective on testimony as a source of knowledge. To do so, we critically revisit the discussion between Harvey Siegel and Alvin Goldman about the goals of science education, especially where it involves arguments based on the epistemology of testimony. Subsequently, we come back to a discussion between Charbel N. El-Hani and Eduardo Mortimer, on the one hand, and Michael Hoffmann, on the other, striving to strengthen the claim that rather than students’ belief change, understanding should have epistemic priority as a goal of science education. Based on these two lines of discussion, we conclude that the reliance on testimony as a source of knowledge is necessary to the development of a more large and comprehensive scientific understanding by science students.     

The Relationships Between Paranormal Belief, Creationism, Intelligent Design and Evolution at Secondary Schools in Vienna (Austria)

The present study is the first to investigate the relationships between a multiple set of paranormal beliefs and the acceptance of evolution, creationism, and intelligent design, respectively, in Europe. Using a questionnaire, 2,129 students at secondary schools in Vienna (Austria) answered the 26 statements of the Revised Paranormal Belief Scale (R-PBS) and three statements about naturalistic evolution, creationism and intelligent design (ID). The investigated Austrian students showed an average R-PBS score of 82.08, more than 50% of them agreed with naturalistic evolution, 28% with creationism, and more than a third agreed with ID, the latter two closely correlated with each other. Females generally showed higher belief scores in the paranormal, creationism and ID. The agreement with naturalistic evolution correlated negatively with religious belief, but not with other paranormal beliefs, whereas the two non-scientific alternatives to evolution significantly correlated with both traditional and paranormal beliefs. Religious belief showed a significant positive correlation with other paranormal beliefs. All subscales of paranormal belief decreased during the eight grades of secondary school, as did acceptance of creationism and ID. However, the acceptance of naturalistic evolution did not correlate with age or grade. Possible reasons and implications for science education and the biology curriculum at Austrian secondary schools are discussed.     

信仰的知识和知识的信仰--对哈贝马斯《信仰和知识》的另种解读

哈贝马斯无法解构“信仰和知识”的矛盾，他所面临的问题其实与其他人没有什么两样。只是他在人们无望的挣扎中试图找到一条出路。这就是缓和、而不是认同这种冲突。这个原则不仅适用于欧洲的后世俗社会。而且适用于不同宗教信仰之间的差异。在这点上本文与之共鸣。文章的一个新观点是。对科学的新的迷信具有宗教化倾向，这不仅是“信仰和知识”这个古老话题的继续，而且为之增加了新的麻烦。     

科学教育中的知识、方法与信念——基于科学哲学的考察

科学教育强调学生理解科学的本质,而不仅仅是知识,这是因为科学与社会之间的联系越来越紧密,凸显了将科学看作了解世界的方式在认识论上的重要性。出于个体认识论的需要、科学研究的认识论特征以及科学外行与科学家在认知劳力上的区分,科学教育的目标转向受教育个体未来的社会行动,应培育学生建立对科学的信任和维护科学的认识论权威。为实现这种目标,科学教育应从理解科学的本质转向理解真实的科学实践的本质,在科学教育中呈现真实的而非理想化的科学实践,采纳基于科学哲学模型和理论的实用主义进路。科学哲学对科学实践的新近研究,虽然可以提供理论基础,但应该与科学教育进行建设性对话,更加关注非科学家理解科学的模式,将哲学模型转化为适合学生认知水平和需要、符合教学情境的教学资源。     

AIR Between Forums: Knowledge and Belief

Research in Higher Education -     

知识与信仰中的生态文明

生态文明是对现代危机的歧路反思后以发展共识为核心的新型文明,是人类在特定时空中应对世界的一种积极的存在方式。生态文明从知识的视角而言,即是以科学技术为主体手段,将整个社会纳入到可计算、可分析的量化统计中,形成数字化生存方式。从信仰的角度来看,即是把生态文明作为世界观和价值观的要素,将公共利益的诉求放在核心地位,让自己有了一份超越世俗利益冲突的内在神圣性。在发展的共识下,党和政府提出了建设生态文明的战略思想,意味着发展方式的变化。     

Exploring Relationships Among Belief in Genetic Determinism,Genetics Knowledge,and Social Factors

Genetic determinism can be described as the attribution of the formation of traits to genes, where genes are ascribed more causal power than what scientific consensus suggests. Belief in genetic determinism is an educational problem because it contradicts scientific knowledge, and is a societal problem because it has the potential to foster intolerant attitudes such as racism and prejudice against sexual orientation. In this article, we begin by investigating the very nature of belief in genetic determinism. Then, we investigate whether knowledge of genetics and genomics is associated with beliefs in genetic determinism. Finally, we explore the extent to which social factors such as gender, education, and religiosity are associated with genetic determinism. Methodologically, we gathered and analyzed data on beliefs in genetic determinism, knowledge of genetics and genomics, and social variables using the “Public Understanding and Attitudes towards Genetics and Genomics” (PUGGS) instrument. Our analyses of PUGGS responses from a sample of Brazilian university freshmen undergraduates indicated that (1) belief in genetic determinism was best characterized as a construct built up by two dimensions or belief systems: beliefs concerning social traits and beliefs concerning biological traits; (2) levels of belief in genetic determination of social traits were low, which contradicts prior work; (3) associations between knowledge of genetics and genomics and levels of belief in genetic determinism were low; and (4) social factors such as age and religiosity had stronger associations with beliefs in genetic determinism than knowledge. Although our study design precludes causal inferences, our results raise questions about whether enhancing genetic literacy will decrease or prevent beliefs in genetic determinism.     

信仰、科学信仰与马克思主义信仰

信仰作为价值观,存在两对矛盾：终极性（超越性）与现实性,理性与非理性。科学并不消解信仰,相反二者还会交合,产生科学信仰。马克思主义是信仰,是科学信仰,我们应用现实运动与终极理想相统一的思维方式对待马克思主义信仰。     

人权：知识与信仰的交融

人权,作为法治的内核,作为人类文明的一种突出性表征,不仅体现在作为知识系统存在或被传承的人权的规范制度和相应设施,表现在人权与国家权力之间关系的制度化,而且体现在对作为知识系统的人权以及权利与权力的制度化关系的内在信仰。知识与信仰的内在交融构成了完整的人权系统。人权,从知识上的承认、传播到情感上的信仰,信仰的产生与升华是一次更为重要的权利的深化。     

The Nature of Science and the Role of Knowledge and Belief

In everyday language we tend to think of knowledge as reasoned belief that a proposition is true and the natural sciences provide the archetypal example of what it means to know. Religious and ideological propositions are the typical examples of believed propositions. Moreover, the radical empiricist worldview so often associated with modern science has eroded society's meaningful sense of life. Western history, however, shows that knowledge and belief have not always been constructed separately. In addition, modern developments in the philosophy and history of science have seriously undermined the radical empiricist's excessive confidence in scientific methods. Acknowledging in the science classroom the parallel structure of knowledge and belief, and recognizing that science requires a presuppositional foundation that is itself not empirically verifiable would re introduce a valuable discussion on the meaning of science and its impact on life. Science would less likely be taught as a `rhetoric of conclusions'. The discussion would also help students to gain a firmer integration of science with other important knowledge and beliefs that they hold.     

个人知识:教育实现“转识成智”的关键

教育的目标不仅仅是公共知识的掌握,更应该是智慧的养成。个人知识是教育实现“转识成智”的操作概念。藉由个人知识,教育发现了通往智慧的可行路径个人知识的情境性决定了教育实践的生活世界取向,个人知识的介入性决定了教育实践的体验取向,个人知识的意会性决定了教育实践的表达取向,个人知识的建构性决定了教育实践的理解取向,个人知识的实践性决定了教育实践的效用取向。     

信仰危机·信仰对象·信仰方式

信仰危机是一种精神现象 ,是社会变革在观念层面茫然状况的反映 ,也是个人生命价值追寻中的迷失。信仰危机发生相关的有两个主要方面 :一是信仰对象的统摄性 (权威性 )削弱或丧失 ,二是信仰方式扭曲或倒错。在与信仰对象超越性有关的“总的假设”论证中 ,明确研究定位是首要的 ,即必须明确信仰不是认识 ,所以不应当、也不可能在认识论中解决信仰和信仰危机问题。引起信仰方式扭曲或倒错的主要原因是 :信仰方式与信仰对象、信仰观念、社会基本制度的不契合。反省已有信仰方式的缺陷 ,及时进行调整修补 ,减少盲目性和绝对化 ,是舒缓和解决信仰危机的一个有效路径 ,同时亦有助于信仰主体及信仰观念的提升 ,对社会信仰重建具有推进作用。     

论教育的知识性格和智慧性格

知识和智慧是教育基本理论中的一对重要范畴。教育不仅具有知识性格,而且更具有智慧性格。现代教育知识性格的单一性和片面性,导致教育不能有效地引导人的智慧成长。当代教育发展迫切需要通过智慧性格去引导、改造知识性格,以此促进受教育者成长为智慧活动的主体。     

动态认知逻辑视域下的知识与信念

对于话语交流中知识与信念变化的研究主要采用两种技术路线：一是数值方法。数学与计算机学界常用的方法;一是符号逻辑方法,用逻辑或者数学的方式进行形式刻画并提供结构模型。而以当前兴起的动态认知逻辑为切入点来讨论知识与信念变化的形态、动机、过程等问题,为其提供切实可行的逻辑语言表述与结构模型．必然会拓宽用符号逻辑方法研究知识与信念变化的途径。     

试论道德知识传授与信仰引导的整合

当前学校道德教育实效不佳的原因可能在于道德教育太注重道德知识传授而忽视了信仰引导。因此,在学校道德教育中应该做到道德知识传授与信仰引导的整合。     

Students' Knowledge of Aging and Career Preferences

The increased number of older adults attributes to a rising need for future professionals to work in gerontology. Understanding the influence of students' career choices is important. A qualitative study was conducted after students' taking a gerontology course to explore students' knowledge and career preference in gerontology. The results were that students reported higher competency in that their knowledge was higher. Although increased knowledge did not necessarily encourage students to choose careers in gerontology, it may have made students more amenable toward accepting working with the aging population in the future. The study offers suggestions on how to increase students' competency level in practice.     

教学做合一：转识成智的一种路径

毋庸质疑,对每一个学习者而言,教学的真正目的应该是个人经由知识的掌握而达到自身智慧的养成,即"转识成智"。陶行知的"教学做合一"思想,强调"手脑结合"、理论和实践的统一,凸显了主体本位、能力本位、实践本位的教学思想。也正是在这个意义上,"教学做合一"的思想蕴涵了实现个人"转识成智"的一种必要路径。研究和借鉴陶行知的"教学做合一"思想,对我国当下的教育教学改革仍有着重要的理论和实践上的指导意义。     

以学习促知识、智力、能力三者协调发展

知识、智力、能力相互联系又相互促进、相互渗透。它们的系统整合、协调发展是人的和谐、全面和可持续发展的关键。在学习中既要优化学生的知识结构，又要优化其智力结构、能力结构；既重视知识的传播，又注意智力开发、能力培养，使学生学会学习，学会发展。