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Asia-Pacific
Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 7, Issue 2, Article 10
(Dec., 2006) Behiye AKCAY The analysis of how to improve student understanding of the nature of science: A role of teacher
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Until late 1900, research focused on student understanding of the nature of science (NOS). After realizing its importance for teachers, many studies have focused on improving teacher conceptions of the NOS for example many argue that to teach science as inquiry and to do it successfully, teachers must understand the NOS (Duschl , 1987). The National Science Education Standards [NSES] (NRC, 1996) reinforce this view and have set standards for teacher knowledge of science and science teaching. The NSES state:
All teachers of science must have a strong, broad base of scientific knowledge extensive enough for them to understand the nature of scientific inquiry, its central role in science, and how to use the skills and processes of scientific inquiry. (p.59)
Many have argued that the teacher has a critical role for achieving any curriculum reform (Brown & Clarke, 1960). Such a role has been enlightened and places in context: “teacher understandings, interests, attitudes, and classroom activities influence student learning to a large extent” (Abd-E-Khalick & Lederman, 2000, p. 669). Attempts to improve teacher conceptions of the NOS through inclusion of history and philosophy of science content in teacher education programs have been a challenge since the early 1960s (Gill, 1977; Harms & Yager, 1981; Kimbal, 1967; King, 1991; Mathews, 1990).
Helping teachers to internalize the instructional importance of the NOS increases their attention level to the basic ingredients which determines science (Ogunniyi, 1982; & Akindehin, 1988). There are two assumptions to help students develop adequate understanding of the NOS. The first assumption is that teachers’ conceptions of NOS do not affect the instructional strategies they use. The second assumption advocates the idea that teacher conceptions of the NOS do directly transfer into their classroom teaching practices (Ramsey & Howe, 1969; Nott & Wellington, 1996; & Lederman, 1992). The evidence from the literature indicates studies of both pre-service and in-service teachers’ beliefs regarding the NOS and their classroom practices as follows.
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