Emirates pre-service and in-service teachers' views about the nature of science

This study investigated Emirates pre-service and in-service teachers' views about the nature of science. A questionnaire was developed and administered to 31 female pre-service science teachers, and 224 inservice chemistry teachers. The questionnaire covered five aspects of the nature of science identified by Palmquist and Finley (1997). These are: scientific theories and models; role of a scientist; scientific knowledge; scientific method; and scientific laws. The results indicated that Emirates teachers' views are neither clearly traditional nor clearly constructivist - they held mixed views about the nature of science. The study attributed the existence of the traditional views to historical reasons and the educational system. The presence of constructivist views was attributed to religious factors, where some of students' religious beliefs agree with some constructivist views. The study argued that the traditional view about the nature of science is in conflict with the teachers' religious beliefs. Teaching science in the Arab culture using the traditional view about science creates what Tobin (1996) called 'symbolic violence'. The study concluded that introducing science from the constructivist point of view and using what Jegede (1996) called 'collateral learning' would help to diminish such violence.