In the nineteenth century, a new method for teaching anatomy shifted the professor's position from the middle of the lecture amphitheatre to one side of the room. In this spot, the wall was used to display a variety of visual "flat technologies" such as blackboards, oil paintings, wallcharts and light projections, among other visual…

Although unrecognized for his scientific achievements during his life, Gregor Mendel pioneered our modern understanding of the gene, work that shaped the field of genetics and advances in biology and medicine. The field that he set in motion 200 years ago lies at the center of current ethical debates about the future of humanity, the limits of…

The name Lamarck is very well known in the teaching of biology, being associated with an early effort to explain evolution. Nevertheless, when evolution is taught in the classroom, the only Lamarckian ideas that stand out are related to the 'inheritance of acquired characters', invariably illustrated by the example of the lengthening of giraffes'…

Researchers of science education, historians, and philosophers of science agree that the teaching of nature of science (NOS) is important to be integrated into K-12 classes. Our previous research showed that NOS is not embedded into science teaching in Greece. To study the possibility of its integration, a PD-program for in-service science…

Potash, an essential raw material of the 18th century, used to be produced from the ashes of plants. Known since antiquity, it was in 1807 that Humphry Davy put an end to the decades-long controversy about its nature as a compound. The technology behind potash production was implemented in Brazil by the Portuguese naturalist Frei Velloso. The…

In this paper, we investigate how cultural, historical, and emotional factors influence scientific concepts in Brazil's Scientific Vocation Program (Provoc) and Japan's Sakura Science Program. It analyzes how Western and Eastern views of science might shape program goals through high school students' reports. Science education, history and…

In a highly technological society, teachers need to help students grow as technoskeptical citizens who can think deeply about technologies to consider their collateral, unintended, and disproportionate effects on society. This article presents a technoskeptical Inquiry Design Model (IDM) lesson where upper elementary students critically inquire…

Despite the long-standing interest among science educators in using history of science in science teaching, little has been discussed around whether and how non-Western histories of science could be incorporated into science education. This study considers some opportunities and challenges of addressing East Asian history of science (EAHOS) in the…

In 1900, three botanists claimed they had found regularities in inheritance, which soon would be known as Mendel's Laws, without knowing the work of Gregor Mendel or of each other. Their claims of independent (re)discovery have been thoroughly studied during the past decades, with various outcomes. The case is still of interest today as it offers…

As a member of the team that created elements 104 and 105 at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, James Andrew Harris [1932-2000] was the first African American credited in the discovery of an element. This factoid has been posted on social media, used in a quiz game, and repeated on numerous Web sites. The story (if any context is offered at all) is…

Cell size is an important variable in the study of cellular growth, metabolism, and the cell cycle. The large size of "Amoeba proteus" and the ease with which it can be collected and cultured have made it a star in biology education--and it was a model for research on cell biology before the introduction of molecular genetic methods.…

Fengshui was originally a methodology for nurture of both spirit and fertility based on the relationship between water, wind, and qi, and was first used in the selection of sites of habitation on the loess plateau of northern China. An analysis of this methodology for nurture of the physical is the purpose of this paper. Its prism is the history…

The history and philosophy of science course is among the very important courses for prospective teachers in terms of understanding the development of science, evaluating its social and cultural context, developing scientific thinking skills, and better understanding and teaching scientific knowledge. Studies on this subject are important in terms…

The world faces complex and entangled environmental, health and social problems that can only be effectively grappled with if the research sector harnesses the knowledges and understandings of diverse cultures. Research education is a key site where more democratic and equitable processes of knowledge creation can take place. Drawing on de Sousa…

Science and mathematics are universal endeavors. However, the historical perspective of science and mathematics has been westernized across the curriculum in the USA. There is a limited number of textbook analyses centered on exploring the representation of science and mathematics under a historical standpoint. This research seeks to discuss the…