The Nature of Science and Science Education
Teaching & Learning 6733

University of Utah, Summer 2007
Dr. Adam Johnston

Announcement / Shameless plug

Adam is riding in the MS 150 this year while you are writing your final. (If you want to know what this is and/or donate to the cause, take a look here.) At any rate, this means that he won't be easily accessible during the weekend of June 22-24th, so please be patient (or plan ahead) if you have questions while you're composing your papers.

 

Assigned readings

 

for discussion on 6/19:

• Akerson, V. L., Abd-El-Khalick, F., & Lederman, N. G. (2000). The influence of a reflective activity-based approach on elementary teachers' conceptions of the nature of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37(4), 295-317.
• Southerland, S. A., Johnston, A., Sowell, S. (2006). Describing teachers' conceptual ecologies for the nature of science. Science Education, 90(5), 874-906
• Due on 6/19: Response paper AND Vexation & Venture (prelude to final, handout)

 

for discussion on 6/12:

• Jackson, D., Doster, E. C., Meadows, L., & Wood, T. (1995). Hearts and Minds in the Science Classroom: The Education of a Confirmed Evolutionist. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 32(6), 585-611.
• Mahner, M., & Bunge, M. (1996). Is religious education compatible with science education? Science & Education, 5(2), 101-123.

for discussion on 6/7:

• [optional] Akerson, V. L., Abd-El-Khalick, F., & Lederman, N. G. (2000). The influence of a reflective activity-based approach on elementary teachers' conceptions of the nature of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37(4), 295-317.
• Khishfe, R., & Abd-El-Khalick, F. (2002). Influence of explicit and reflective versus implicit inquiry-oriented instruction on sixth graders' views of nature of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39(7), 551-578.
• Lederman, N. G. (1999). Teachers' understanding of the nature of science and classroom practice: Factors that facilitate or impede the relationhsip. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 36(8), 916-929.

 

for discussion on 6/5:

• Watson & Konicek (1999). Teaching for conceptual change.
• Ladson-Billings (2003). I used to love science . . . and then I went to school.
• Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (1999). Effective teaching: Examples in history, mathematics, and science. In How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School (pp. 143-177). Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.
• Response paper due: What does it mean to "learn". What does it mean to "teach"? And how does this apply to science concepts, particularly regarding the nature of science?

for discussion on 5/31:

• Park, B. (2002). Seven warning signs of voodoo science.
• Pseudoscience investigation

for discussion on 5/29:

• Johnston, A. T., & Southerland, S. A. (2007). The multiple meanings of tentative science. Unpublished manuscript.
• Kuhn, T. (1962). Historical context of scientific discovery. Science, 136, 760-764.

for discussion on 5/24:

• McComas, W. F. (1996). Ten myths of science: Reexamining what we think we know . . . School Science and Mathematics, 96(1), 10-16.
• Smith, M. U., & Scharmann, L. C. (1999). Defining versus describing the nature of science: A pragmatic analysis for classroom teachers and science educators. Science Education, 83(4), 493-509.

for discussion on 5/22:

• Gould, S. (1983). Evolution as fact and theory.
• Settlage, J., & Southerland, S. A. (2007). The Nature of Science. In Teaching Science to Every Child: Using Culture as a Starting Point (pp. 185-209). New York: Taylor & Francis.
• If you do a google search on "science fact law theory" you will find many different descriptions of these terms. Most of these are actually wrong or misleading (even when they're supposed to be in support of science education), but some are okay. You might consider what these different interpretations are, which are right, and what your own students or citizens will think of them.

for discussion on 5/17:

• Lightman, A. (1996). Time for the stars. In Dance for Two (pp. 107-116). New York: Pantheon Books.
• Popper, K. (1963). Conjectures and refutations.
• Scudder (1874). Learning to see.