科学的本质与学生科学本质观的培养

开展科学的本质教育是培养学生科学素养的核心内容。正确的科学本质观建立在科学知识、科学方法以及科学情感态度与价值观的形成基础之上。通过实施新的科学教育理念,改革科学课程的教学内容,转变教师教学策略,使学习科学成为学生主动探究的过程,必将进一步引导学生加深对科学本质的认识和理解,促进学生科学本质观的形成与发展。     

The nature of scientific knowledge and student learning: Two longitudinal case studies

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between students' views of the nature of scientific knowledge and their own learning of physics, and the evolution of this relationship over time. Twenty-three students enrolled in a physics course that emphasised laboratory work and discussions about the nature of science. Over a 15-month period, an extensive data base was established including student essays and interviews regarding their views of the nature of science and teaching and learning of physics. As part of an extensive data generation, students read a book on the epistemology of physics, wrote reflective essays, and subsequently discussed the epistemology of physics in class. Two intensive case studies are used to illustrate our understanding of students' views over time. Changes in students' views concerning the nature of scientific knowledge and of the science teaching and learning process, which were not always complementary, are described with the aid of a model. The findings of this research have direct relevance to the planning and implementation of science courses in which the development of understandings of the nature of science is an objective.     

Science Students' Perceptions of Engaging Pedagogy

During their years of schooling, students develop perceptions about learning and teaching, including the ways in which teachers impact on their learning experiences. This paper presents student perceptions of teacher pedagogy as interpreted from a study focusing on students' experience of Year 7 science. A single science class of 11 to 12 year old students and their teacher were monitored for the whole school year, employing participant observation, and interviews with focus groups of students, their teacher and other key members of the school. Analysis focused on how students perceived the role of the teacher's pedagogy in constructing a learning environment that they considered conducive to engagement with science learning. Two areas of the teacher's pedagogy are explored from the student perspective of how these affect their learning: instructional pedagogy and relational pedagogy. Instructional pedagogy captures the way the instructional dialogue developed by the teacher drew the students into the learning process and enabled them to “understand” science. How the teacher developed a relationship with the students is captured as relational pedagogy, where students said that they learned better when teachers were passionate in their approach to teaching, provided a supportive learning environment and made them feel comfortable. The ways in which the findings support the direction for the middle years and science education are considered.     

Comparisons of beliefs about the nature of knowledge and learning among postsecondary students

The purpose of this study is to assess postsecondary students' beliefs about the nature of knowledge and learning, or epistemological beliefs. Comparisons were made between junior college students and university students and between technological science majors and social science majors on their degree of belief in simple knowledge, certain knowledge, innate ability, and quick learning. Junior college students were more likely to believe in simple, certain knowledge, and quick learning. University students were more likely to believe in innate ability. Technological science majors were more likely to believe in quick learning. Background variables, such as age, gender, and parental education, also contributed to differences between groups. Two-year institutions, as well as four-year institutions, might want to consider students' epistemological beliefs as possible factors affecting academic performance, attrition rate, and transfer difficulties.     

Undergraduate science students' images of science

This article describes views about the nature of science held by a small sample of science students in their final year at the university. In a longitudinal interview study, 11 students were asked questions about the nature of science during the time they were involved in project work. Statements about the nature of science were characterized and coded using a framework drawing on aspects of the epistemology and sociology of science. The framework in this study has three distinct areas: the relationship between data and knowledge claims, the nature of lines of scientific enquiry, and science as a social activity. The students in our sample tended to see knowledge claims as resting solely on empirical grounds, although some students mentioned social factors as also being important. Many of the students showed significant development in their understanding of how lines of scientific enquiry are influenced by theoretical developments within a discipline, over the 5–8 month period of their project work. Issues relating to scientists working as a community were underrepresented in the students' discussions about science. Individual students drew upon a range of views about the nature of science, depending on the scientific context being discussed. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 36: 201–219, 1999     

理科教师的科学本质观对科学教育的影响

人们对科学本质的认识经历了由科学的“真理观”向科学的“建构观”的转变。不同的科学本质观将直接影响着教师对科学教育目标的不同理解,对科学知识的不同选择,对教学主题的不同设计、教学话语的不同使用,对学生学习的不同评价。教师不同的科学本质观及其教学行为影响着学生的科学本质观的形成,影响着学生对科学内容的理解以及看待问题的思维方式。     

Evaluation of Short-Term Impact of a High School Summer Science Program on Students' Perceived Knowledge and Skills

Summer science programs held in university research facilities provide ideal opportunities for pre-college students to master new skills and renew, refresh, and enrich their interest in science. These types of programs have a positive impact on a student's understanding of the nature of science and scientific inquiry and can open a youngster's eyes to the many possible career opportunities in science. This paper describes a study of high school students enrolled in the Summer Science Academy program at the University of Rochester that investigates the program's impact on students' knowledge of laboratory skills, as well as the impact on student interest in pursuing a career in science. Students' exposure to advanced laboratory techniques and their interaction with professional scientists provided them with a very positive hands-on experience. Students who attended the program felt more confident in their ability to use sophisticated laboratory skills and that the Summer Science Academy program provided a positive influence on their performance in advanced science courses, as well as their desire to pursue a career in science.     

The Nature of Science and Scientific Knowledge: Implications for a Preservice Elementary Methods Course

This article describes teaching considerations related to the nature of science and scientific knowledge in an elementary science methods course. The decisions that were made, the rationale upon which these decisions were based, and the challenges evident are presented. Instructional strategies used during the course for the purpose of developing preservice teachers' understandings of the nature of science and scientific knowledge are described. The results of using these strategies, in regard to the impact on students' learning and their views on teaching the nature of science to elementary grade students are then discussed. The article concludes with a discussion on the implications for teaching the nature of science and scientific knowledge in the context of preservice elementary teacher education.     

Making sense of genetics: Students' knowledge use during problem solving in a high school genetics class

Interest in including ideas about the nature of science in instruction and research has led to the realization that, in addition to developing courses which offer students experience with science practice, it is important to understand the ways in which students learn and use science knowledge within such courses. The study reported here is based on a particular view of the nature of scientific practice: Science is collaborative; scientists use knowledge in the construction of new knowledge; and scientists' understanding of problems and problem-solving strategies change during knowledge construction. Given this perspective, the study examines the ways in which students in an innovative high school genetics class collaborate to construct knowledge as they develop genetics models. In this classroom, students use three kinds of knowledge: knowledge of genetics, permitting them to recognize anomalous aspects of new data and providing a template from which to develop new models; knowledge of the process of model revision, helping them make decisions about how to develop new models; and knowledge of their own problem-solving strategies, allowing them to “keep track” of what they have done, as well as make connections between the development of new models and their knowledge of genetics. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

建构主义理论运用于科学教学的15条原则

随着建构主义理论在科学教育领域中的运用与逐渐流行,一种基于建构主义的新的科学教学模式正在兴起。这种教学模式要求在科学教学中,应把科学知识的学习看作是学生主动建构知识的过程;应把科学探究作为学生建构科学知识的最重要的学习方式;应充分发挥学生在学习中的自主性,视学生为科学知识的主动建构者;承认学生的原有知识经验在学习中的重要性,了解并正确处理学生的前概念;运用概念转变策略,帮助学生实现概念转变;引发学生的认知冲突,激起学生科学探究的欲望;发挥教师的指导作用,为学生的知识建构提供支持条件;提供真实的情境,让学生获得经验,在情境中建构知识的理解;鼓励学生发问,提出开放性问题,让学生在问题解决中建构知识;开展多种形式的对话,在对话中建构知识;鼓励学生合作与交流,为知识的社会建构提供机会;鼓励学生反省,学会自主监控学习过程;重视学习方法指导,为学生知识建构提供认知工具与策略;提供学习资源,让学生参与寻找用于解决问题的信息;采用形成性评价,强调学生在学习过程中的表现。     

Evidence and Warrants for Belief in a College Astronomy Course

Science educators have argued that it is insufficient to be able to recite thetheories of science and not know how knowledge claims in science are justified, what counts as evidence, or how theory and evidence interact. We wonder, however, how much students' understandings of the nature of science vary with content. This paper draws on data collected in a university astronomy course. Data include three interviews and written work from twenty students, as well as written work from the 340 students in the class. This study provides us with evidence on how students' talk and writing about the nature of science differs depending on the particular scientific topic which is under discussion. The relationship between theory and evidence, warrants for belief, and nature of observation are described in various ways in the different disciplines discussed in the course.     

Just do it? impact of a science apprenticeship program on high school students' understandings of the nature of science and scientific inquiry

The purpose of this study was to explicate the impact of an 8‐week science apprenticeship program on a group of high‐ability secondary students' understandings of the nature of science and scientific inquiry. Ten volunteers (Grades 10–11) completed a modified version of the Views of Nature of Science, Form B both before and after their apprenticeship to assess their conceptions of key aspects of the nature of science and scientific inquiry. Semistructured exit interviews provided an opportunity for students to describe the nature of their apprenticeship experiences and elaborate on their written questionnaire responses. Semistructured exit interviews were also conducted with the scientists who served as mentors for each of the science apprentices. For the most part, students held conceptions about the nature of science and scientific inquiry that were inconsistent with those described in current reforms. Participating science mentors held strong convictions that their apprentices had learned much about the scientific enterprise in the course of doing the science in their apprenticeship. Although most students did appear to gain knowledge about the processes of scientific inquiry, their conceptions about key aspects of the nature of science remained virtually unchanged. Epistemic demand and reflection appeared to be crucial components in the single case where a participant experienced substantial gains in her understandings of the nature of science and inquiry. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 40: 487–509, 2003     

An exploratory study of the knowledge base for science teaching

The purpose of this study was to describe the knowledge base of a group of science teachers in terms of their knowledge of the structure, function, and development of their disciplines, and their understanding of the nature of science. The study also aimed to relate the teachers' knowledge base to their level of education, years of teaching experience, and the class level(s) that they teach. Twenty inservice science teachers were selected to respond to a modified version of the Views on Science–Technology–Society (VOSTS) questionnaire to assess their understanding of the nature of science. The teachers then constructed concept maps and were interviewed. The concept maps were scored and the interviews analyzed to assess teachers' knowledge of the structure, function, and development of their disciplines. The teachers' knowledge base was found to be lacking in all respects. Teachers held several naive views about the nature of science and did not demonstrate adequate knowledge and understanding of the structure, function, and development of their disciplines. Moreover, the teachers' knowledge base did not relate to their years of teaching experience, the class level(s) that they teach, and their level of education. It was reasoned that teacher preparation programs are not helping teachers develop the knowledge base needed for teaching science. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 34: 673–699, 1997.     

Epistemological understanding in science learning: the consistency of representations across contexts

This article addresses the extent to which written diagnostic questions can be used to assess science students' representations of the nature of science. The responses of 731 European science students in upper secondary school and undergraduate programmes to two written diagnostic questions are analysed for consistency. The written questions yielded some insights into students' views. There is evidence that the majority of students in this sample draw upon different epistemological representations in different contexts. The paper concludes with a discussion of the use of data from such questions in science education, and the significance of models of students' epistemological knowledge.     

Evaluation of the Effects of the Medium of Instruction on Science Learning of Hong Kong Secondary Students: Students’ Self-Concept in Science

A longitudinal study has been conducted to explore the impact of a new language policy for Hong Kong secondary schools on science learning. According to this policy, only schools that recruit the best 25% of students can teach science in English, the students' second language, while the other schools have to teach science in Chinese, the students' native language. The study involved a student cohort of 100 schools starting from S1 for three years. The outcome of science learning is conceptualized as consisting of students' achievement and self-concept in science. This paper reports the possible effects of English-medium instruction (EMI) and Chinese-medium instruction (CMI) on students' self-concept in science, as measured by students' responses to a questionnaire. Comparing with the CMI students, the EMI students showed higher self-concepts in Chinese, English and Mathematics, but a lower self-concept in science. This finding suggests that the EMI students might experience greater learning problems in science than in other subjects, probably because science learning involves abstract thinking and the mastery of scientific terminology which make a high demand on language proficiency. The EMI students showed a greater interest in learning science than the CMI students, indicating that they were more academically oriented. The EMI students, however, formed a lower perceived self-competence in science than their CMI peers, despite that they performed better in the science achievement test than many of the CMI students. This perception supports the view that using English for instruction may have negative effects on science learning. It is also consistent with the observation that the EMI students perceived science as more difficult to understand and learn than the CMI students.     

The Inter-relationship of Science and Religion: A typology of engagement

This study explores whether the religious background of students affects their opinions about and attitudes to engaging with scientific explanations of the origins of the universe and of life. The study took place in four English secondary schools representing three different contexts (Christian faith-based; non-faith with majority Muslim catchment; and non-faith, mixed catchment). It comprised questionnaires and focus groups with over 200 students aged 14–16, supplemented by teacher interviews. The analysis approach was informed by grounded theory and resulted in the development of an engagement typology, which has been set in the context of the cross-cultural border crossing literature. It divides students into categories depending on both the nature and amount of engagement they were prepared to have with the relationship between science and religion. The model takes into account where students sit on four dimensions. These assess whether a student's preferred knowledge base is belief-based or fact-based; their tolerance of uncertainty (do they have a need for resolution?); their open mindedness (are they unquestioning or inquiring?); and whether they conceptualise science and religion as being in conflict or harmony. Many Muslim students resisted engagement because of conflicting religious beliefs. Teachers did not always appreciate the extent to which this topic troubled some students who needed help to accommodate clashes between science and their religious beliefs. It is suggested that increased appreciation of the complexity represented by their students can guide a teacher towards an appropriate approach when covering potentially sensitive topics such as the theory of evolution.     

Situating teachers’ developmental engineering experiences in an inquiry-based,laboratory learning environment

Many secondary math and science teachers don’t understand the nature and application of engineering adequately to transfer that understanding to their students. Research is needed that investigates and illuminates the process and characteristics of development that addresses this gap. This mixed-method study examines the developmental experiences of 16 public math and science teachers in a yearlong engineering experience. Teachers partnered with university engineering professor-mentors for six weeks on campus followed by ongoing support for transfer to their secondary classes (grades 9–12). Teachers gained engineering knowledge and skills, and an understanding of engineering’s diversity and interdisciplinary nature, plus integrative applied strategies for math and science instruction. They developed productive perceptions (of value, utility, benefits, feasibility and fit) of engineering for their grade 9–12 students, along with efficacy and intent to use what they had learned. Teachers identified positive, profound shifts in their perceptions of engineering and engineers. All teachers integrated engineering principles into their classrooms, but the process was more challenging for math teachers than for science teachers. This developmental experience may help bridge gaps of school-to-life and disciplinary boundaries that separate formal educational environments from authentic life experience.     

Modelling by teacher educators

A desirable professional competency of teacher educators is the ability to explicitly model for their students, the thoughts and actions that underpin one's pedagogical approach. However desirable, the articulation of knowledge of practice is a difficult and complex task that demands considerable awareness of oneself, pedagogy and students. This article explores the nature and development of explicit modelling by two teacher educators in the context of a preservice education programme in an Australian University. The article illustrates how through their collaborative self-study, the teacher educator/authors have begun to conceptualise a pedagogy of teacher education that is based on learning from the experience of ‘being explicit’.     

DOMAIN DIFFERENCES IN THE EPISTEMOLOGICAL BELIEFS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS

This study examined the differences in the epistemological beliefs of college students across major fields of study. Beliefs in fixed ability, simple knowledge, quick learning, and certain knowledge were assessed for 290 students attending a large urban public university. Major fields of study were classified in domains of study according to the hard-soft and pure-applied dimensions of Biglan's well-known classification of academic fields. Additional analyses examined the effects of gender, age, year in college, and GPA. Results indicated that students majoring in pure fields were less likely than those in applied fields to hold naive beliefs in simple knowledge, quick learning, and certain knowledge, and students majoring in soft or pure fields were less likely than others to hold naive beliefs in certain knowledge. Gender, age, and GPA were also related to students' beliefs. The results of this study suggest that students' beliefs about the nature of knowledge and learning are related to the disciplinary contexts in which students select and experience their specialized coursework in college.