In this paper, we use the "Family Resemblance Approach" (FRA) as a framework to characterize how scientists view the nature of science (NOS). FRA presents NOS as a "system" that includes clusters or categories of ideas about the cognitive-epistemic and social-institutional aspects of science. For example, the…

In this article, we tackle the phenomenon of what seems to be a misunderstanding between science education theory and philosophy of science--one which does not seem to have received any attention in the literature. While there seems to be a consensus within the realm of science education on limiting or altogether denying the explanatory role of…

The paper aims to provide a review of literature that emphasizes students' and teachers' views on the nature of science (NOS) and associated instructional approaches to develop adequate understanding of the NOS that have been employed in different contexts. One hundred and seventy-two (172) studies were selected from ResearchGate, Academia, Google…

For many years, hegemonic approaches to teaching the nature of science (NOS) have focused mainly on understanding some epistemic (i.e., rational, or cognitive) aspects involved in the construction of science. So, aspects of a non-epistemic (i.e., non-rational, contextual, or extra-scientific) nature have been practically neglected in these…

One of the biggest challenges when teaching chemistry at the elementary and secondary levels arises from the conceptual gap between the ontology of macroscopic objects and agents and an ontology where the relevant objects behind macroscopic phenomena are, in fact, inaccessible to our senses. This work employs tools from the general philosophy of…

The focus on history of science (HOS) in physics education has been advocated for a long time. However, what are the actual implications of proposals with this focus and the recent advancements in this research field? What are the possible connections between HOS and emergent topics, such as decoloniality, social justice, and post-truth? With…

Unpacking the complexities of learning processes in science education often requires more than just one analytical framework. Despite the need for such analytical and, by extension, methodological diversity, the science education research literature reveals a scarcity of studies integrating multiple analytical perspectives, thereby possibly…

Nature of science (NOS) is considered an important component of scientific literacy. Supporting students to develop a comprehensive NOS understanding is one of the most commonly described objectives within science education. Moreover, history of science can arguably provide a good context for NOS teaching and learning; it has been suggested that…

Over the past few decades, research has been conducted on the nature of science (NOS), which is considered a critical component for achieving scientific literacy. This study aims to explore university science professors' views of NOS using a recent theoretical framework, which is the family resemblance approach (FRA). FRA is a comprehensive…

In this article we analyze the classic Hodgkin and Keynes 1955 paper describing investigations of the independence principle, with the expectation that there is much students and educators can learn from such exercises, most notably how the authors applied their diverse skill set to tackling the numerous obstacles that the study presented. The…

Energy is one important concept in physics, but science education research has repeatedly shown that students struggle to develop a full understanding of energy. Especially challenging for students is the notion of potential energy. Overwhelmed by the sheer number of potential energy forms, students struggle to make connections between them.…

The philosophy of science (POS) has gained recognition for its contributions to science education, particularly in integrating the history and philosophy of science (HPS). However, the existing literature lacks a comprehensive review that systematically investigates the implications and limitations of POS in science education research. This study…

This study investigated evidence of how students' mental models of fundamental kinematic relations evolved (i.e., developed cognitively over time) as observed during an introductory course in calculus-based classical mechanics. The core of the curriculum is based on a claim known as Galileo's principle of relativity. The course material comprised…

This study aimed to determine preservice science teachers' (PST) attitudes towards the Reconceptualized Family Resemblance Approach to the Nature of Science and to examine PST attitudes towards this approach according to grade levels. The study group consists of 75 people studying in the 3rd and 4th year of undergraduate education. The sample of…

In the 21st century, post coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, virology has been, and continues to be, in the public eye. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic globally has affected political, economic, social, policy, and health aspects. Transformative breakthroughs in the field of virology such as disease prevention, vaccines, drug…