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Asia-Pacific Forum
on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 10, Issue 1, Article 4
(June, 2009) |
Science is an important subject at all levels of education. However, numerous studies have shown that many students, and even teachers, possess an inadequate understanding of science and its nature. This situation might be harmful, “particularly in societies where citizens have a voice in science funding decisions, evaluating policy matters and weighting scientific evidence provided in legal proceeding[s]. At the foundation of many illogical decisions and unreasonable positions are misunderstandings of the character of science” (McComas, Almazroa, & Clough, 1998, p. 511). An understanding of the nature of science (NOS) is established as one of the desirable characteristics of a scientifically literate person. An scientifically literate person refers to someone who, in general, “should develop an understanding of the concepts, principles, theories, and processes of science, and an awareness of the complex relationships between science, technology, and society…[and] more important[ly]…an understanding of the nature of science” (Abd-El-Khalick & BouJaoude, 1997, p. 673).
Therefore, many science curricula now aim to help learners attain an adequate understanding of the NOS or an understanding of “science as a way of knowing” (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1989, p.1). There are various advantages of inclusion of the NOS in science curricula. Driver, Leach, Miller, and Scott (1996) have suggested five arguments in support of the inclusion of the NOS as a goal of science instruction, i.e., the NOS enhances learning of science content, understanding of science, interest in science, decision making in science-related issues and science instructional delivery.
The proclamation of the Thai National Education Act B.E. 2542 (1999) and Amendments (Second National Education Act B.E. 2545 (2002) (Office of the Education Council, 2002), brings all stakeholders together in continuing joint efforts toward education reform. Science is emphasised in section 23 of the National Education Act (2002):
Education, through formal, non-formal and informal approaches shall give emphases to knowledge, morality, learning process and investigation… scientific and technological knowledge and skills, as well as knowledge, understanding and experience in management, conservation, and utilisation of natural resources and the environment in a balanced and sustainable manner (Office of the Education Council, 2002, p. 10).
To support the reform, the Ministry of Education had launched a new curriculum, the Basic Education Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2001), which consists of eight Learning Strands. In the Science Learning Strand, the NOS is explicitly emphasised in Learning Sub-strand 8: The Nature of Science and Technology, which consists of one standard (Standard Sc 8.1):
The student should be able to use the scientific process and scientific mind in investigation, solve problems, know that most natural phenomena have definite the period of investigation, (and) understand that science, technology and [the] environment are interrelated (Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology, 2002, p. 7).
Teachers must have an understanding of what they are attempting to communicate to their students (Lederman, 1992). Teachers cannot possibly teach what they do not understand. Consequently, without sufficient internalising of informed views of the NOS, science teachers cannot effectively address the NOS in the classroom (Abd-El-Khalick & Lederman, 2000). An adequate understanding of the NOS allows science teachers to model appropriate science-related behaviours and attitudes (Murcia & Schibeci, 1999) that strongly influence students’ views about the NOS (Palmquist & Finley, 1997). As Lederman (1992) pointed out, “the most important variables that influence students’ beliefs about the NOS are those specific instructional behaviours, activities, and decisions implemented within the context of a lesson” (p. 351). For example, in the case of language, the way teachers verbally present scientific enterprise has an impact on the way students formulate their views about science (Munby, 1967; Zeidler & Lederman, 1989). Hence, promoting teachers’ understanding of the NOS is clearly a prerequisite for effective science teaching (McComas, Clough, & Almazroa, 1998). However, many studies reveal that most science teachers possess an inadequate, incoherent and fluid understanding of the NOS (Abd-El-Khalick & BouJaoude, 1997; Lederman, 1992).
