New Perspectives in Science Education

History of Science (HOS) can be used as a successful strategy to discuss Nature of Science (NOS) themes in Natural Sciences classes [1]. The present study focused on improving students’ views about the Nature of Science upon a short time length Problem-Based Learning intervention about the origin of life, using History of Science relevant episodes. The NOS learning objectives of the intervention were limited to the role of imagination and creativity in scientific investigations, the changing and provisional characteristics of scientific knowledge, and the understanding that the following conceptions are inadequate: unlike theories, scientific laws do not change, and research in Biology around the world is carried out the same way, because Biology is universal and independent of society and culture. Participants were 8th grade students, 13 to 16 years old (Mean = 13.26 and SD = 0.79), at a Portuguese state-funded school (N=34). The educational intervention occurred during the academic year 2017/2018 and its outcomes were evaluated using a pre-/post-test questionnaire and structured observations. The null hypothesis that there are no significant differences on students’ epistemological conceptions was statistically rejected considering the results of a Likert scale questionnaire ministered before and after the intervention. The non-parametric Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test of significance revealed that pre- to post-intervention gains were significant for the targeted objectives supporting the effectiveness of the intervention improving students’ NOS understandings. Such results are in accordance with other studies (e. g. [2]) showing that shorter interventions may influence students’ NOS understanding. Results also suggest that HOS and NOS-enriched PBL instructional units such as the one in the present study constitute a useful and valuable pedagogical method for Middle School students’ learning curriculum contents and aspects of NOS.

Keywords: Nature of Science, NOS questionnaire, Origin of life, History of Science;

References:
[1] Abd-El-Khalick, F. “Teaching With and About Nature of Science, and Science Teacher Knowledge Domains”. Sci. & Educ., 2013, 22, pp 2087–2107.
[2] Williams, C. T. & Rudge, D. W. “Emphasizing the History of Genetics in an Explicit and Reflective Approach to Teaching the Nature of Science, A Pilot Study”, Sci. & Educ., 2016, 25, pp 407-427.