The leap from science student to scientist involves recognizing that science is a tentative, evolving body of knowledge that is socially constructed and culturally influenced; this is known as The Nature of Science (NOS). The aim of this study was to document NOS growth in first-year premedical students who participated in a science book club as a…

Interviews with key scientists involved in research on severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), together with analysis of media reports and documentaries produced during and after the SARS epidemic, revealed many interesting aspects of nature of science (NOS) and authentic scientific inquiry. This novel insight into practice in the rapidly…

This paper describes the development, use, and analysis, of an educational tool inspired by the history of the optical mechanism of vision. We investigated 12-year-old students' reasoning about vision. Most of them explain it as the result of something coming either from the object or from the eye. Moreover, some of them think that light…

Describes a recently originated project to create simulated taped interviews with great chemists. (CP)

This paper reports on a study of a group of university women working in science at an academic institution. The group included professors, graduate students, researchers, post-doctoral students, and science educators. Data were collected in the form of interviews, field notes taken during participant observation, and analysis of group materials…