Springer Lecture:
Science Is Doing One's Damndest with No Holds Barred: Pluralistic Approaches to the History of Science and Its Uses in Teaching -- A Biologist's Approach Dr. Garland E. Allen, Washington University, St. Louis, U.S.A.
The history and philosophy of science can be enormously useful in teaching and writing about both the content of science, and science and a process, or way of knowing. But many times historical examples are introduced (in textbooks or courses, or in popular writings) too briefly, or only anecdotally, thereby missing most of the important perspective they can provide. While there is no single method in science, there are multiple methods that are illustrated by using different case histories. Case histories are detailed studies of a given scientific issue or controversy, combining accurate historical information, including archival sources where available, quotations from various published (or unpublished) writings of the various scientists involved, with textual explication that includes the technical, philosophical and socioeconomic context. This makes for a “messy” view of history, but it is more informative and ultimately, more interesting, than the oversimplified historical examples that are often used. The lecture will use two case studies (time permitting) to illustrate how history can illuminate the many methods involved in doing science.
Teaching Astronomy: An Historical Approach Varda Bar, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel Gary Sneider, Museum of Science, Boston, U.S.A.
Teaching astronomy through history shows the profound influence that breakthroughs in technology have had on the development of science; sometimes resulting in a revolutionary approach to an existing domain of science, and sometimes opening the door to an entirely new field of research. One example is the invention of the Bunsen burner in 1860, which led to significant discoveries in both chemistry and astrophysics. This apparently simple apparatus provided a hot, transparent flame that allowed for the discovery of new chemical elements through their spectra. The ability to observe spectra in the laboratory made it possible to identify the unique signature of different elements in the sun, other stars, and light-emitting nebulae. These discoveries led, in turn, to even more profound discoveries concerning stars, galaxies, and the universe as a whole. The implication of this line of reasoning is that scientists and engineers are full partners in the business of discovery, and that concepts of technology and the skills of engineering design deserve a prominent place in the science curriculum.
The Heavens as a Laboratory: The Discovery of Spectroscopy Juergen Teichmann, Deutsches Museum, Munich, Germany Art Stinner, University of Manitoba, Canada
The dynamic relationship between science and technology has become an important theme for the 20th century. Unfortunately, this relationship is generally not discussed in schools. Of course, it is important to demonstrate the physical principles of technological developments to students. But it is more important to show, in an exciting context, how significant new ideas and concepts develop in science and technology and how science and technology depend on each other. Joseph Fraunhofer and his work in optics and the making of telescopes the early 19th century in Bavaria offer a very good example where we can test the interrelationship between science and technology. We will especially look at his discovery of the dark lines he found in the solar spectrum to describe his relationship with the physicists of his time and his contributions to the interests of the State. We will illustrate the difficult and arduous task of discovering something that turns out to be scientifically very important; in this case the dramatic and unforeseen connection between the spectrum of the sun and the elements on earth.
Astronomy Workshops and the Nature of Science Knowledge Haydée Santilli, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina Susana Boudemont, Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio –CONICET, Argentina
Astronomy, astrophysics, and cosmology workshops represent a way for the students to recognize the nature of science. These topics are slightly developed in high school curricula. In this paper we have analyzed the development of this kind of workshops organized in Argentina. This is a qualitative, holistic and interpretative research. We find that students could be aware of current science. They could understand the way is built science today, recognizing its day by day growth. It is an approach to the scientific working way. We find that students express just a few inductivist ideas, which is not in accordance with another published researches. We identify interesting inquiries related to the day by day of the scientific work. Students could recognize science, as a human built, it is an image of science less accurate than the fictional usual view that in textbooks and by science teachers often offer.
Quality and Evolution of Teachers’ Argumentation in Marine Fish Resource Issue Yu-Wen Chiu, Shu-Mey Yu, Ming-Chun Hsiao, & Hsin-Chiao Huang, Graduate Institute and Department of Science Application and Dissemination, National Taichung University, Taiwan
The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality and evolution of teachers’ argumentation in marine fish resource issue. Subjects were twenty primary and secondary teachers. Argumentation in marine fish resource issue was developed and validated by two science educators. The task was set in e-learning system. Subjects engaged three rounds argumentation in e-learning system. Data collected were coded and analyzed in quality and evolution of argumentation by three trained graduate students independently, and an inter-rater consistency was .90. Results indicated that there was improvement in the quality and evolution of teachers’ argumentation in marine fish resource issue. Further discussion and educational implications of these findings will be discussed in the conference.
Teachers’ Argumentation about Construction of Mountain Cable Car in Yushan National Park Issue Ming-Chun Hsiao, Shu-Mey Yu, Yu-Wen Chiu, & Hsin-Chiao Huang, Graduate Institute and Department of Science Application and Dissemination, National Taichung University, Taiwan
The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality of teachers’ argumentation about construction of mountain cable car in Yushan national park based on their epistemological views and four round argumentation experiences. Subjects were twenty primary and secondary teachers. Argumentation in construction of mountain cable car in Yushan national park issue was developed and validated by two science educators. The task was set in e-learning system. Subjects engaged four rounds argumentation in e-learning system. Data collected were coded and analyzed in quality of argumentation by three trained graduate students independently, and an inter-rater consistency of .94 was achieved. Results indicated that teachers with mixed epistemological views provided higher argumentation levels in argumentation than the other two epistemological views. Teachers provided higher argumentation scores in fourth round argumentation than the other three round argumentations.
Impact of a Nature of Science Professional Development Program on the Self-Efficacy for Science Teaching and Knowledge of Teachers in Elementary School Rick Connor, University of New South Wales, Australia
This paper will report the findings from a professional development program conducted over two years in a number of elementary schools in Sydney, Australia. Participating teachers were experienced practicing teachers, teaching a state (New South Wales) Science and Technology syllabus to children in Stages 2 (9/10 year old) and 3 (11/12 year old). The program used lessons on aspects of the pendulum to demonstrate key concepts about the nature of science. The stability of the teachers’ self-efficacy about their teaching of science, and their knowledge of science concepts were measured by pre- and post-testing using a self-efficacy instrument (SETAKIST) designed by Roberts and Henson. The design of the study included a control group of teachers who did not receive the full professional development program. Analysis of teachers’ responses show a significant increase in teachers’ self-efficacy for science teaching as a result of participation in the program. This paper presents the data analysis and discussion of case studies conducted in schools that restructured their science programs and lesson plans as a result of participation in the study.
Sessions 1.1.3
Compulsions, Challenges and Contradictions of the Modernisation Enterprise in India – Implications for Science Education Kamal Mahendroo, School of Education, University of New South Wales, Australia
The enterprise of post-colonial modernisation in India accepted development of science and technology education as an essential task. Promotion of ‘scientific temper’ became a central goal of science education in the national policy documents as well as popular discourse. While its essentiality for economic development found universal acceptance, that for social reform has been an issue of contentious debates. Cultural nationalism has been a strong ideological prop for traditionalist and revivalist world views. While vying for the label of being ‘scientific’ to ensure popular appeal and quell skepticism, they have been aggressively opposed to rational enquiries. This conflict with ‘scientific temper’ has found support from post-modernist appeals for ‘epistemologically and methodologically pluralist science’. These trends now seem to be converging towards a constructivist approach to science education in India.
A Proposal for Science Teaching in Mexico through History and Philosophy of Science Zuraya Monroy-Nasr, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico Rigoberto Leon-Sanchez, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), Mexico Mauro de Moura, Federal University of Bahia (UFBa), Brazil
This paper presents a research project on science teaching that is being developed at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). The research on science teaching in Mexico has traditionally taken two main directions. On the one hand, there has been a specialized approach from several disciplines like Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics for a better training of their respective students. On the other, various psychological approaches have been interested in understanding the processes and mechanisms in science learning as well as in creating strategies for science teaching. In the context of the alarming situation of education in general and in most of the scientific disciplines in our country, we have created a research project that from a psychological perspective intends to contribute to knowing more and showing the importance of science teaching under the premise of its comprehension through history and philosophy of science and of the specific subject.
Novel Approaches in English Science Education Michael Akeroyd, Bradford College, U.K.
The National Curriculum for England and Wales introduced a new science specification for the 14-16 year old cohort as from September 2006. This includes a novel component “How Science Works”. In particular, the Edexcel “360Science” specification adopts a hierarchical spiral philosophy resembling the ideas expressed by A. N. Whitehead (1), this writer (2, 3) and Franz Riffert (4). Recently Eric Scerri (5, 6) has advocated adoption of the Janet or “left-step” Periodic Table. A similarly unconventional table was advocated previously by this writer (7) and is also included as a teaching aid in the distance learning program of the Honolulu Community College, Hawaii.
Definition of Historical Models of Gene Function and Their Relation to Students’ Understanding of Genetics Niklas M. Gericke, Department of Biology, FoNTD* and Karlstad University Mariana Hagberg, Teacher Education Faculty Office, Karlstad University
In this study five historical models of gene function are categorized from the history and philosophy of science. Internal and external consistency problems between the models are identified and discussed. Students’ understanding of genetics, as described in science education literature, is then examined. The historical models and the students’ ideas about genetics are compared. From the consistency analysis of the models seven epistemological features are identified. These differ between the five historical models and it is claimed that learning difficulties might be the result if these features are not explicitly addressed when teaching genetics. This claim is strengthen by the review of the educational research literature, which shows extensive parallelism between students’ alternative understanding of genetics and the epistemological features. It is argued that the outlined historical models could be used successfully when teaching gene function in a combined nature of science and history of science approach.
Preliminary Evolutionary Explanations: a Minimal Framework for Explanatory Coherence in Middle School and a Basis for Future Evolution Instruction Kostas Kampourakis, Geitonas School, Athens, Greece Vasso Zogza, University of Patras, Greece
In research articles on students’ preconceptions about evolution, the categorization scheme of analysis draws often on claims and theoretical ideas about evolution derived from the history of the growth of evolutionary thought, thus identifying “Lamarckian” or “Darwinian” preconceptions (Banet & Ayuso, 2003). Such a categorization facilitates the development of teaching materials in a historical instructional approach (Jensen & Finley 1996). However, although the parallels between students’ experiences and those of historical figures may be interesting, important differences may exist between initial student conceptions and early evolutionary ideas. This paper has two aims: (1) to present the main points of Lamarck’s and Darwin’s theoretical conceptual schemes about evolution and (2) to compare students’ explanations of evolution with the above schemes. Our research involved one hundred lower secondary students (3rd grade, 14 years’) and took place at Geitonas School in Athens, Greece.
Falsifiability as a Science/Non-Science Demarcation Criterion in the Battle Against Creationism Paul J. Wendel, Department of Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum Studies, Kent State University, U.S.A.
In the effort to keep creationism out of U. S. public schools, scientists and civil libertarians have successfully argued that creationism is not science and therefore has no place in science classes. Testability/falsifiability plays an important role in these arguments, as exemplified in two key U. S. court cases and a document produced by the National Academy of Sciences. Although there is little question that creationism is not science, the falsifiability criterion used to reach this conclusion is flawed in important ways. Drawing on the work of Ludwig Wittgenstein, I suggest an alternative.
Conceptual Change in the Fly Room: A Lesson for Undergraduate Biology Education Francie Rowe, Edgewood College, U.S.A.
This paper demonstrates the merit of linking the history of science and the study of biology in undergraduate biology classrooms. Historical cases, here Thomas Hunt Morgan’s conversion to chromosomal theory and natural selection, provide an opportunity to teach biological concepts, create a classroom climate that supports metacognition, and develops students’ understanding that biology is an accumulated, yet impermanent body of knowledge. Moreover, a case is made for inclusion of history of biology in the biology classroom as it enhances the learning environment and opens the door to facilitate student conceptual change by illustrating the difficulty biologists often have had in giving up their beliefs, ideas, and assumptions.
Building Bridges: Surfacing Epistemologies in a Science Teacher Education Program and Implications for Classroom Practice Awneet Sivia, Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University, Canada
Issues in science education often find their roots in teacher education. The literature suggests that developing epistemologically coherent practice requires several important foundations: teachers believe in teaching science as epistemologically-grounded; these beliefs are formed early in teachers’ professional development; the role of science teacher education is to unearth these views and beliefs about science, nature of science and teaching and learning science. This paper highlights several issues in relation to teacher views about nature of science, their epistemologies and how these converge in classroom practice in early years of belief formation. Several recommendations for teacher educators and further research are offered in concluding sections.
Approaches and Methodologies for a Course on History and Epistemology of Physics: Analyzing the Experience of a Brazilian University
Katemari Rosa, Departamentode Física, UEFS, Brazil Maria Cristina Martins, Instituto de Física, UFBA, Brazil
In this paperwork it is analyzed the insertion of History and Philosophy of Science (HPS) in a Physics undergraduate programme from a Brazilian university, particularly, the approaches and methodologies adopted by professors of a History and Epistemology of Physics course. This course aims to have a HPS explicit approach. The results point a concern from the Physics Institute on inserting these questions in physics teacher training programmes. Besides, it is brought the distinct visions of HPS shown by the professors who teach or have taught this subject, being even divergent visions.
Constructing an Educational Message Regarding the Nature of Scientific Method: Leonardo and Galileo Compared Barbara Zinn, Science Teaching Center, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel Igal Galili, Science Teaching Center, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Many textbooks present linear series of thumbnail sketches of scientists and their contributions commonly isolated from the rest of the text. This approach has limited educational potential. A richer picture of the scientific enterprise could be attained by discussing prominent figures through comparing and contrasting them. In a sense, Plutarch who discussed historical figures in pairs used this approach. We suggest a non-linear representation, comparing certain scientists, which can be more effective in revealing the meaning of the nature of science. Two prominent Italian Renaissance scientists, Leonardo and Galileo, were contrasted. Although both figures criticized and rejected the dominant paradigm of Aristotelian science, their contributions were different. Leonardo's approach was rather intuitive, qualitative, visual and practical. Galileo was quantitative, highly eloquent in presentation, seeking idealized situations that could reveal secrets from the Book of Nature, using experiments to illustrate principles. This comparison may illustrate an approach for teaching introductory science.
Taiwan Experts' Perspectives on What 'Nature of Science' Should Be Taught in Elementary and Secondary Schools Liang-Rong Hsu, National Taichung university, Taiwan
In recent reforms relating to science education, the nature of science (NOS) has been broadly emphasized. Nevertheless, there are some arguments as to what should be taught regarding the NOS. This study adopted the Delphi survey and consulted twenty experts in Taiwan, including: scientists, scientific educators, HPS, environmental educators and education experts. We discriminated what should be taught concerning the NOS at different educational levels. The results showed that there are 9 themes for elementary schools, 22 themes for junior high schools and 28 themes for senior high schools. The themes that emerged from this study are similar to the conclusions of McComas & Almazroa (1998) and Osborne, Colins, Ratcliffe, Millar, & Duschl (2003). But compared with the NOS themes in the national curriculum of Taiwan, it exhibited obvious difference in this study. Therefore, the teaching goals of the NOS in Taiwan’s national curriculum have to be re-considered.
Kieran Egan’s Educational Metatheory and its Importance for HPS Science Educational Reform Roland M. Schulz, Faculty of Education, Simon Fraser University
The call for reforms in science education has been ongoing for a century, with new movements reshaping the identity of the discipline. The HPS movement has an equally long history and taken part in the debates defining its purpose and revising curriculum. Its limited success is due not only to competition with alternate visions (ex. to integrate social action) which deadlock implementation, but the inability to rise above the debate. At issue is a fundamental problem plaguing science education. It is my contention that it requires a theory of education that can appropriately distance itself from the dual dependencies on theories in psychology and the demands of socialization. I offer Egan’s cultural-linguistic theory as a metatheory to help resolve the impasse, including a call for a refocus on philosophy of education. I hope to make reformers familiar with his ideas and show how they can complement HPS rationales.
Sessions 1.1.7
Critical Thinking in Science Education: Can Bioethical Issues and Questioning Strategies increase Scientific Understandings? Thelma Gunn, Lance Grigg, & Guy Pomahac, University of Lethbridge, Canada
Many North American school districts and post- secondary academic institutions are acknowledging the importance of becoming a critical thinker. Future citizens will need to be to informed consumers of technology, science, sociology, and ethics, to name a few. After all, the world has become vastly more complicated, necessitating such skills as reasonableness and logical thinking, to name a few. By engaging students at a crucial time in their developmental process, we can lay the foundation for good critical thinkers. The purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of critical thinking in science education, both at the secondary and post-secondary levels. Evidence regarding its suitability will be drawn from critical thinking and science education literature, as well as previous studies using bioethical decision-making and generic question stem strategies with middle school and university students.
Social and Ethical Issues in Science Education Dana L. Zeidler, University of South Florida, U.S.A. Larry Bencze, (Erminia G. Pedretti, Jim Hewitt, Lisa Romkey, and Ashifa Jivraj), OISE/University of Toronto, Canada Michael R. Matthews, University of New South Wales, Australia
The discussants will provide an opportunity to engage participants on discussion around the theme of the role of moral and ethical issues in science education. After a brief introduction, presenters at this session and audience members will be invited to discuss issues related to the following core question:
Core Question:
How can moral and ethical issues best contribute to current or future notions of scientific literacy?
Theoretical Issues:
Investigate to what extent does conceptual understanding of scientific content occur when Socioscientific Issues inquiry is implemented in the classroom?
Examine what inquiry looks like in an SSI context.
Pedagogical, Curricular, & Policy Issues:
Identify pedagogical strategies necessary to facilitate discourse in SSI.
Evaluate the conditions under which issues may provide context for subject matter understanding.
Assesses “functional” Scientific Literacy by indicators of conceptual application of scientific content in the context of personal / social ethical decisions.
Plenary Presentation: Cognitive Perspectives on Epistemology in Science Education: An Interactive Panel Chair: Dr. Dana Zeidler, University of South Florida, U.S.A. Discussants: Dr. Clark Chinn, Rutgers University, U.S.A. Dr. Zoubeida Dagher, University of Delaware, U.S.A. Dr. Mansoor Niaz, Dept. of Chemistry, Universidad de Oriente, Venezuela Dr. Jim Ryder, School of Education, University of Leeds, U.K.
This panel brings together scholars who investigate scientific epistemology in an interactive session designed to promote a discussion with the audience. The goal is to stimulate cross-disciplinary discussions of critical issues related to epistemology. The session will be organized around three questions: First, what is the scope of epistemological knowledge? In other words, what knowledge falls within the bounds of what can be called epistemological, and what knowledge should be viewed as non-epistemological? Second, what kind of knowledge is epistemological knowledge? That is, is epistemological knowledge general or specific, verbalizable or tacit, and so on. Third, how can instruction promote development of epistemology? What are key features of effective instruction? How does epistemology develop? As we discuss each question, we will especially encourage interactions with the audience through their comments and questions. The central aim of this session is to facilitate a broader discussion among the IHPST community.
Sessions 1.2.1
Evolution of the Theory of the Earth: A Contextualized Approach for Teaching the History of the Theory of Plate Tectonics to Ninth Grade Students Glenn Dolphin, Union -Endicott High School, New York, U.S.A.
Current high school Earth Science curricula and textbooks organize scientific content into isolated “units” of knowledge. With this structure of organization, content is taught, but without the context of fundamental understandings or the process of how the science was actually done to create the knowledge. These are two key facets of scientific literacy. The author has developed curriculum that addresses two particular units of study in Earth Science (“geologic time” and “plate tectonics”) from a historical perspective - tracing the evolution of the theory of plate tectonics. The curriculum includes contextualized experiences for students such as telling stories, utilizing original historical texts, narratives, and essential questions, to name a few. All of the strategies are utilized with the goal of building understanding around a small set of “big ideas.” Exploring the historical models in this way allows students to analyze the models for limitations and misconceptions. In many cases, this also encourages students to discard their own naïve conceptions about the way in which the world, and science for that matter, work.
Pluto’s Punishment and Two Other Examples of Reclassification in Science: A Golden Teaching Opportunity Harry L. Shipman, University of Delaware, U.S.A. Valerie Bergeron, Delaware Technical and Community College, U.S.A.
The recent action of the International Astronomical Union’s General Assembly in proposing to reclassify Pluto as a “dwarf planet” garnished an unprecedented amount of public attention. For a while, interest in this topic will make it much easier to engage students on an important issue of the history of science: that scientific knowledge is durable yet changeable. We will first describe briefly an activity which engages students with the Pluto issue. We will then deal with a more important historical question: is what happened to Pluto typical of other similar episodes in the history of science? We compare it to one less heralded, but well-chronicled recent chemical episode: the naming of transuranic elements and the reclassification of the columns of the periodic table. Another point of comparison was the reclassification of the spectra of white dwarf stars 25 years ago, an event where the first author played a significant role.
How Copernicus Moved The World: Using The Shift From Geocentrism to Heliocentrism To Explore The Nature of Science Gregory L. Macklem, Program in History and Philosophy of Science, University of Notre Dame, U.S.A.
The shift from geocentrism to heliocentrism is a process with which almost all students and science teachers are familiar. The story, as it is typically told, however, is oversimplified and lacking of critical information that yields a tale far more interesting and useful for the classroom. A brief history of theories of the universe from antiquity to Galileo and perhaps the final touches of Isaac Newton is presented, with a focus on using it as a teaching tool for helping students grapple with the nature of science. Key elements include the evidential basis for the geocentric system and its complexity, the work of Copernicus and its reception, and Galileo’s promotion of heliocentrism. Important aspects of the nature of science illustrated include observation and theory construction, handling of contradictory data, whether science should yield useful models or describe physical reality, interactions of society and science, and the interrelatedness of various sciences.
Sessions 1.2.2
A Historical/Philosophical Foundation for Teaching Chemical Equilibrium Juan Quilez, IES Benicalap, 46015 Valencia, Spain
An effective introduction of the HPS in the science curriculum implies the elaboration of available works that teachers may find helpful in the reconstruction of some essential concepts. This study presents a brief historical reconstruction on the role of theories of chemical equilibria that evolved around different research programs concerning the attempts at measuring chemical affinities. This previous historical research serves as a base for suggesting an appropriate sequencing of the teaching and learning of chemical equilibrium. That is, this communication will search for the theoretical grounds of four basic chemical equilibrium concepts: ‘incomplete reaction,’ ‘reversibility.’ ‘equilibrium constant,’ and ‘molecular dynamics’. Eventually, this work tries to go beyond the development of teachers’ conceptions of the nature of chemistry, for not only does it focus on the history and philosophy of chemical equilibrium, but also it gives suggestions about how teachers may translate such understandings into classroom practice.
Talking Chemistry: Investigating the Epistemological Aspects of Chemical Language and Implications for Chemical Education Sibel Erduran, University of Bristol, UK Agustin Aduriz-Bravo, University of Buenos Aires, Argentina
Chemistry teaching and learning remain disconnected from interdisciplinary studies of chemistry despite decades-long reform efforts to link science to its historical, philosophical and social contexts. The purpose of this paper is to focus on an example theoretical framework that considers how some epistemological aspects of chemistry can be applied in chemical education in the context of language. The paper begins with a theoretical background on the emergent field of philosophy of chemistry. The nature of chemical language including chemical syntax and semantics is reviewed. Some implications for chemical education are explored. It is argued that learners will have a deeper understanding of chemistry if they are immersed in contexts informed by interdisciplinary characterizations of chemistry. The emphasis on the epistemological aspects of chemical language can contribute to psychological perspectives on language thereby informing a more coherent vision for how language functions in chemistry learning.
Argumentation: An Essential Component of a Process of Chemical Modelling Cristian Merino & Merce Izquierdo, LIEC, Llenguatge i Ensenyament de les Ciències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, G5, Office 122, Campus UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain M. Arellano, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Instituto de Química, 2374631 Valparaíso, Chile
At present, it is accepted that argumentation plays a central role in the construction of explanations, models and theories (Gross, 1990; Siegel, 1995) because of the fact that scientists use arguments to relate the hypotheses that they want to defend with the data or the initial departure points. On the other hand, chemistry teaching based on models or designed according to a modelling process (Izquierdo et al., 1999) uses argumentation as an essential instrument for the simultaneous theoretical and practical construction of meaning. There are proposals to implement argumentation in class (Sardà & Sanmartí, 2000). Under this approach, we describe the specific characteristics of two chemistry courses on different contexts, where student-teachers interact with a ‘guide’ that accompanies them in the argumentation process in order to achieve a construction of a chemical explanation of phenomena. The conclusions allow us to compare the argumentations elaborated in each course (the traditional chemical course and the modelling-approach course). We can also identify differences in the design and the curriculum planning of each course. This fact generates different degrees of argumentation.
The History of Electricity and the Contemporary Physics Education Varda Bar, Science Teaching Center, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel Igal Galili, Science Teaching Center, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
In our recent study we investigated the views of pupils of elementary school concerning electricity and their parallels in the history of science. Thus, we found that the particulate ("little balls") model appears later in the course of students' growth of knowledge. Firstly, many young students spontaneously develop an image of electricity as a flow, which is sufficient to arrive to render the idea of current conservation and to facilitate elementary uses of electricity. The similar order of conceptual growth appeared in the history of science: particulate models of electricity came much later after the fluid models. Researchers like Franklin, Kirchhoff and Coulomb held fluid models of electricity and conserved the current. Furthermore, spontaneous views of contemporary pupils mix electricity with magnetism. The latter seems to be in a sense more fundamental for pupils. Besides providing evidence to the phenomenon of recapitulation in the individual leaning (Kofka 1925, Piaget 1970) one can use the historical materials for the constructivist teaching as a remedial means. Thus the confusion between the two forces, electric and magnetic, could be addressed by using the account by William Gilbert (1600), among others. Some applications for teaching electricity at the elementary school are drawn from these observations and parallelism.
Will The Real Imre Lakatos Please Stand Up Mary Beisiegel, Irene Meglis, & David Pimm, University of Alberta, Canada
Although Imre Lakatos described the work published in his Proofs and Refutations as a study of ‘mathematical methodology’, work which has been responded to and criticised by philosophers of mathematics on its own terms, much writing in the thirty years since its appearance has used it as a pertinent cognate text appropriable for school mathematics education. This paper, in which we contrast the responses the two fields have generated, offers a potentially salutary case study of how challenging and fraught it can be at times to undertake work at the nexus of history and philosophy on the one hand while at the same time seeking to explore its possible relevance and significance for education. As our title suggests, we are concerned about the proliferating Lakatos personas who now exist, especially how any of a wide range of self-styled ‘reform’ or ‘progressive’ educational practices get attributed to him.
How Do Physics Teacher Students Understand the Nature of Science: An Explorative Study of a Well Informed Investigational Group Dietmar Höttecke, Universität Bremen, Germany
Physics teacher students at the University of Oldenburg should develop adequate beliefs about the nature of science (NOS) as they take courses with elements of the history and philosophy of science (HPS). The NOS conceptions of physics teacher students right before their final examination were investigated during a seminar about NOS. The study was framed in a pre-post-design. An open questionnaire and a semi-structured interview were central instruments of the investigation. It will be shown that even if students’ beliefs about NOS shift to more constructivist and relativistic views, interesting amalgams of attitudes towards empiricism and relativism emerge. The investigation sheds light on the structure of beliefs of a rather well informed investigational group. It helps to understand which beliefs are more or less easy to change even if the students have attended HPS related courses.
Undergraduates’ NOS Conceptions and the Role of Historical Narratives: A Very Tangled Web Joanne K. Olson & Michael Clough, Iowa State University, U.S.A.
In an effort to teach NOS at the undergraduate level and help students learn about the development of fundamental science ideas, we developed historical short stories that were given to students as part of an introductory geology course. The stories are focused on the development of fundamental science concepts, but make explicit statements regarding the NOS and pose questions throughout the text to help students learn important NOS ideas along with the science content. We know that using such short stories results in improved NOS understanding (Clough et al., 2007). This study is a closer examination of students’ responses to the short story questions to determine how they interpret short story text and what misconceptions they have. We examined the responses of 276 undergraduates to two NOS questions in a short story on continental drift. Results indicate that most students attend to NOS ideas in their responses, but an alarming percentage has NOS and other misconceptions that impede their ability to learn desired NOS ideas. Students’ NOS concepts are entangled with other NOS concepts as well as sociological and psychological misconceptions.
Sessions 1.2.5
Symposium Session: Mathematics, Science and Art: Contextual, Historical, and Philosophical Connections for Contemporary Research and Pedagogy--I
Mathematics and Literature: Perspectives for Interdisciplinary Classroom Pedagogy Bharath Sriraman, University of Montana, U.S.A. Astrid Beckmann, University of Education-Schwaebisch Gmuend, Germany
Mathematics and literature have an ancient affinity as seen in the writings of the Greek philosophers, medieval theologians and natural philosophers of the post Renaissance period. Many of these writings indicate a pragmatic style of doing mathematics as opposed to the essentialist nature conveyed by school curricula today. Given the modern Renaissance of sorts as seen in the explosion of expository literature in mathematics/science, we explore the use of literature in the teaching and learning of mathematics. In particular, we explore (1) the use of the genre of "modern" mathematics fiction such as Flatland and Flatterland for the purpose of introducing advanced mathematical ideas and to allow the exploration of philosophical questions on the nature of mathematics; and (2) The use of literary texts which contain mathematics in it in conjunction with the use of a special software called MATEX which connects short literary texts and mathematical learning.
Developing mathematical modelling competency through problem based project work - experiences from Roskilde University Morten Blomhøj, Roskilde University, Denmark
At Roskilde University we have 35 years of experience with problem based student projects. In particular from the two-year introductory study programme in the natural sciences, we have extensive experiences with interdisciplinary student projects setting up, analysing, applying, and criticising mathematical models. The finding, formulation and delimitation of problems within certain themes are important parts of the students' project work. Two types of modelling projects are described and analysed in order to illustrate how the problem based study programme supports the students' development of mathematical modelling competency.
Chair: Bharath Sriraman, University of Montana, U.S.A.
Philosophies That Guide the Design of Approaches to Inquiry Learning in Elementary Science Education – A Panel Discussion Chair: Bonnie Shapiro, University of Calgary, Canada Discussants: Polly Knowlton Cockett, University of Calgary, Canada Sandy Last, Calgary Board of Education Science School, Canada Deb Nettesheim, Calgary Board of Education Science School, Canada Elan La Montagne, Calgary Board of Education Science School, Canada Patricia Kaiserseder, Calgary Board of Education Curriculum Support Team, Canada
Many experienced teachers have developed strong commitments and have identified positions on the use of inquiry in their work with science students. This panel discussion involves experienced educators, a science school administrator and a teacher educator who have worked with science materials in this way. They will discuss elements and features of philosophies they have developed that guide approaches to the design of inquiry experiences in science for elementary learners. Examples of student work will be used to further illustrate the nature of the approaches and support given to help students work and think about science in this way. Teachers will share their views on the benefits and advantages of employing an inquiry approach as well as the challenges of this approach to working with learners, learning communities and curriculum materials.
Research Session Fathoming a Program of Study for Secondary Sciences Teachers to Enhance Contextualized Science Instruction
Chair: HsingChi von Bergmann, Faculty of Education, University of Calgary
IHPST group has a strong influence on contemporary enthusiasm in the inclusion of history of science or mathematics in science or mathematics instruction. In this session, two hypothetical lessons (one in science and one in mathematics) are presented. If HPS needs to write in full inclusion in science education does not result from these two lessons, what do science teacher educators do with HPS when working with potential mathematics and science teachers? During this 90-minute session, participants will be invited to present their ideas after reading the two cases provided. All discussions will be audio recorded and then transcribed. This session is intended to engage the IHPST participants in making recommendation to construct curriculum for science teacher education that ultimately assist secondary science teachers contextualizing science lessons.
Guiding Questions:
Are these two curricula aligned with what you envision an example of what contextualized science or mathematics lessons should be?
If no, please identify two or three things that you wish the teacher do differently.
What should secondary science teachers have in their program of study during their teacher education year(s) to help them teach in a contextualized manner as you envision?
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access to the final paper (PDF) and Powerpoint slideshows if applicable.
