Explores views about the nature of science held by a small sample of science students in their final year at university. Finds that students draw on a range of views about the nature of science. Contains 32 references. (DDR)

Investigates the role of dissent in a community of university scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and social scientists engaged in a two-year professional development project on issues of equity and diversity. Focuses on professional development sessions devoted to a contentious yet integral topic in science education, the gendered and…

Examines the nature of selected traditional cosmological concepts among literate and nonliterate Nigerians. Findings indicate that the respondents, regardless of their status, hold both scientific and traditional notions of the universe. A preference for a scientific world view was evidenced by those who experienced a history/philosophy of science…

Examines the discursive and social practices of a teacher educator and eight beginning science teachers in a course on the nature of science and issues of equity and diversity. Focuses on beginning teachers' views of science and science teaching as well as the grounds they offered for their views. (Contains 104 references.) (Author/YDS)

Data were collected via semistructured interviews on female college students views about the natural world. Fundamental beliefs are presented as a concept map and characterized by bipolar descriptive codes. The most intriguing observation of the study was science's apparent lack of influence on students' beliefs about nature even though these…

Examines the knowledge, intentions, and instructional practices of two beginning secondary science teachers as they learned the subject matter of the nature of science (NOS) and attempted to teach NOS during their student teaching experience and their first year of full-time teaching. Suggests that the relationship between NOS and science subject…

Argues that declarative writing about science that presents historical or biographical information incorrectly is not acceptable. (WRM)

Examines the views of approximately 60 secondary science teachers and university scientists from three different research projects for insight into issues of gender and ethnicity in science education. Explores the participants' professional and personal identities from the perspectives of nature of science and beliefs related to students'…

Answers a critique of the historical accuracy of the author's previous work. Argues that all science stories provide a source of material for analysis and synthesis of the nature of the scientific enterprise. (WRM)

Compared two methods of instruction for improving the computer literacy of preservice elementary teachers (N=94): computer assisted instruction in an earth science course and computer programming in a mathematics education course. Computer literacy was measured by the Minnesota Computer Literacy and Awareness Assessment. Methodology, findings, and…

Examines the influence of both locus of control and three instructional strategies to foster an understanding of the nature of science. Reports that the nature of science was most predictable for a separate process/content/teaching methods and logical thinking ability was the best predictor of the nature of science. (Author/YP)