The Nature of Science

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The Nature of Science

• TAMU QU
• Methods for Teaching Science

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Image of a Scientist

• Given a piece of paper and markers, draw your
  image of a scientist. Include as much detail as
  possible.
• Identify items in your drawing that specify why
  the image represents a scientist.

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Objectives

• Derive a definition of science that reflects
  the nature of science
• Understand what is meant by the phrase nature of
  science as outlined in science education
  documents
• Discuss four facets of scientific literacy used
  to present a balanced view of important aspects
  of science and technology in planning and
  teaching science

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• What is your definition of science?

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Some definitions may include

• Discovering nature
• Organizing facts into theories
• A method of discovery
• A body of organized knowledge
• A process of finding out
• A study of the universe
• The search for truth
• Observing and describing reality

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What is science?

• Science is a particular way of knowing about
  the world. In science, explanations are limited
  to those based on observations and experiments
  that can be substantiated by other scientists.
  (The National Academy of Sciences, 1999, p. 1)

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Responsibilities of Scientists

• 1. To understand information and ideas
• 2. To explain that understanding
• 3. To apply the results of that understanding

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Science as a unique way of knowing

• Although there are other ways of knowing,
  science is unique in that it has standards and
  practices that generate ideas to explain
  phenomena and predict outcomes. Regardless of
  their durability and utility, scientific theories
  can be rejected with new findings.

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Criteria for Scientific Explanations

• Scientific explanations must meet certain
  criteria, which distinguish science from myth,
  personal belief, religious values, mystical
  belief, superstition, and authority.
• Scientific explanations must accurately reflect
  empirical observations and experimental results.
• (The National Science Education Standards,
  National Research Council, 1996.)

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Science as a Set of Values
Truth Freedom Skepticism Order Originality Communi
cation
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Science as a way of investigating

• The work of Karl Pearson (1937) and others
  believed they could capture the scientific method
  in five steps
• Observing
• Questioning
• Developing an hypothesis
• Experimenting (Methods and Results)
• Concluding
• (Steps still taught in most science textbooks
  at primary and secondary level.)

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Science as investigation uses multiple approaches

• New terms
• --Scientific methods
• --Scientific methods of inquiry
• Processes connected to science as inquiry
• --observing
• --inferring
• --hypothesizing
• --predicting
• --measuring
• --manipulating variables
• --experimenting
• --calculating

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Science as a body of knowledge

• Facts
• Serve as the foundation to concepts
• Directly observable and can be demonstrated at
  any time
• Concepts
• An abstraction of events, objects, or phenomena
  that seem to have certain properties or
  attributes in common
• Five featuresname, definition, attributes,
  values, and examples
• Principles and Laws
• Used to describe what exists
• Composed of concepts and facts
• Theories
• Used to explain underlying patterns and forces
• Never become fact or law but exist until proved
  otherwise
• Models
• Representation of something we can not see or
  directly observe
• Not perfect so limitations must be noted