How nature of scientific knowledge (NOSK) or nature of science (NOS) and scientific inquiry (SI) are contextualized, or related to each other, significantly impacts both curriculum and classroom practice, specifically with respect to the teaching and learning of NOSK. NOS and NOSK are considered synonymous here, with NOSK more accurately conveying…

The purpose of this study is to develop a flow map for history of science instruction on nature of science (NOS) using a cognitive strategy. This is done to enhance overall scientific literacy through specificity and reflectiveness, and to examine pre-service elementary teachers' understanding of the NOS using NOS flow maps concerning Galileo's…

This study provides an example of a systematic professional development project designed to build capacity for the teaching of nature of science and scientific inquiry, while not sacrificing the learning of more traditional science subject matter. Specifically, this project examined the impact of a 5-year professional development project on K-12…

Research on nature of science (NOS) and scientific inquiry (SI) has indicated that a teacher's knowledge of each, however well developed, is not sufficient to ensure that these conceptions necessarily manifest themselves in classroom practice (Lederman & Druger, 1985; Lederman, 2007). In light of considerable research that has examined…

The primary focus of this article is to illustrate how teachers can use contemporary socio-scientific issues to teach students about nature of scientific knowledge as well as address the science subject matter embedded in the issues. The article provides an initial discussion about the various aspects of nature of scientific knowledge that are…

The purpose of this study was to analyze seven widely used high school biology textbooks in order to assess the nature of science knowledge (NOS) and scientific inquiry (SI) aspects they, explicitly or implicitly, conveyed in the Mendelian genetics sections. Textbook excerpts that directly and/or fully matched our statements about NOS and SI were…

Although the reasons for concern about quality differ from nation to nation, the primary rallying point for science education reform is the perceived level of scientific literacy among a nation's populace. The essential nature of scientific literacy is that which influences students' decisions about personal and societal problems. Beyond this,…

Publications such as "Surrounded by science: Learning science in informal environments" [Fenichel, M., & Schweingruber, H. A. (2010). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press] and "Learning science in informal environments: People, places, and pursuits" [National Research Council. (2009). Washington, DC: National…

Helping students develop informed views about scientific inquiry (SI) has been and continues to be a goal of K-12 science education, as evidenced in various reform documents. Nevertheless, research focusing on understandings of SI has taken a perceptible backseat to that which focuses on the "doing" of inquiry. We contend that this is…

Along with the awesome responsibility to teach science content and inquiry comes a responsibility to nurture an understanding of the nature of science. Just what is nature of science? As simple as this statement sounds, the term in and of itself is not readily agreed upon in scientific communities. For K-12 and science education communities,…

The phrase "nature of science" refers to the characteristics of scientific knowledge that necessarily result from the scientific investigations that scientists conduct to develop knowledge. Yet, these characteristics are assumed by many to be "difficult" to teach. Not so. Many important aspects of nature of science can be directly linked to…

This study explores the relationship, if any, between an individual's culturally based worldviews and conceptions of nature of science. In addition, the implications of this relationship (or lack of relationship) for science teaching and learning are discussed. Participants were 54 Taiwanese prospective science teachers. Their conceptions of…

This paper represents the results of research that involved volunteer high school students. Apprenticeship is a program in science and engineering that places students in science laboratories to provide them opportunities to improve their perspective on scientific principles and scientific inquiry. The study examined the effects of an eight-week…

Argues that a previous study of preservice teachers' beliefs about the nature of science (NOS) was interpretively and methodologically faulty. Contests the finding that teachers learned the NOS through implicit instruction, and questions the methodology leading to the assertion that teachers intended to include NOS instruction in their lessons.…

Examines the conceptions of nature of science (NOS) possessed by a group of gifted seventh-grade students from Taiwan. Concludes that there were no significant changes in students' views of NOS after instruction, possibly due to time limitations and a ceiling effect. (Author/MM)