The nature of science: A study on primary school teachers

Wing Mui Winnie SO, Pun Hon NG, Kuen Yan TANG

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapters

Abstract

The study was based on an activity that got teachers to reflect on their views of the nature of science. It is important for science educators to explore teachers’ image of science because it may have profound implications on the way teachers present and teach science in the classroom (Nott and Wellington, 1993). The activity involved teachers in two tasks, the first task required teachers to rate 24 items, each ranging from strongly agree to strongly disagree. The use of a scoring system in four continua: (a) relativism / positivism; (b) inductivism / deductivism; (c) contexualism / decontextualism; (d) Process / content; (e) instrumentalism / realism helped to work out the profile of teachers’ nature of science. The second task required teachers to write about their views of science, science teaching and science learning. About forty teachers participating in an in-service teacher education workshop were invited to the activity. The differences of teachers’ scores in the first task before and after the workshop were captured to identify the evidence of professional development. Teachers’ responses in their view of science, science teaching and science learning provide further justification to teachers’ profile of the nature of science. Copyright © 2000 The Hong Kong Institute of Education.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of International Conference on Teacher Education 1999: Teaching effectiveness and teacher development in the new century
Place of PublicationHong Kong
PublisherHong Kong Institute of Education
Pages1-7
ISBN (Print)9629490382
Publication statusPublished - 2000

Citation

So, W. W. M., Ng, P. H., & Tang, K. Y. (2000). The nature of science: A study on primary school teachers. In Proceedings of International Conference on Teacher Education 1999: Teaching effectiveness and teacher development in the new century [CD-ROM] (pp. 1-7). Hong Kong: Hong Kong Institute of Education.

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