A comparative study of three methods for the popularization of a physical phenomenon

A study of Norwegian science textbooks for grade 8 indicates an individualistic image of science where individual scientists are discovering truth, through experiment. Scientific rationality is grounded in procedures of inquiry alone and not in debate and argumentation within scientific communities. The communal aspects of science tend to become visible in historical examples where science did not function properly due to prejudices or ignorance. Furthermore, science proper and school science are not differentiated between, and 'scientific knowledge about nature' and 'nature' are one and the same. The discourse identified is well suited to provide students with broad and general knowledge about natural and everyday phenomena. However, it is less suitable for teaching about the scientific enterprise in contemporary society. This is worrying for students' scientific literacy as future adults, as this dimension is essential for understanding the nature of science and for democratic citizenship in socio-scientific issues.     

Models in physics: perceptions held by final‐year prospective physical science teachers studying at South African universities

Abstract

The nature of physics as a scientific discipline is largely determined by the models of reality it utilizes. It is therefore appropriate that teachers of physics have a sound knowledge of the origin and nature of these models, their functions and the role they play in the development of the discipline. The results of a study with regard to the perceptions of models held by prospective physical science (a combination of physics and chemistry) teachers studying at South African universities are reported in this paper. The overall conclusion drawn from the study is that these students are far from prepared to incorporate models properly in their teaching. General misconceptions about models have also been identified. These misconceptions can have far‐reaching effects on the structuring of the physics knowledge of pupils exposed to them.     

Thinking about University Video Centres in the Netherlands

The introduction and use of forward thinking in modern planning is nowadays no longer merely a fashion but an absolute necessity, be it only to make sure that the skeleton of each new university building is provided with the right holes and channels through which to run the cables that might be needed at a future date for internal and external communications.