New Perspectives in Science Education

The relationship between modeling-based teaching and conceptions about the nature of scientific models is a research area that requires further attention. Although it has been shown that modeling-based teaching has a positive impact on students’ learning, there is still not enough empirical evidence about which specific aspects of the nature of models are influenced by this didactic approach. In recent years, several studies have highlighted the importance of modeling as a central practice in science teaching (Ariza, Lorenzano & Adúriz-Bravo, 2016), promoting a more complex view of science as a dynamic and representational process (Treagust et al., 2020). However, although these studies have pointed out improvements in scientific and metascientific competencies, there is little specific evidence on how these practices affect students’ conceptions of the nature of scientific models. In the present study, conducted with 240 secondary school students in various cities in Chile (Talca, Concepción, Valparaíso, and Santiago), the Q-NoM instrument (Q-Nature of Models) was designed, validated, and applied within a mixed-method quasi-experimental design. Through a didactic sequence focused on modeling, which included metacognitive reflection activities, empirical characterization of scientific phenomena, and the expansion of the set of applications of school scientific models (Ariza, 2024), the impact of modeling-based teaching on students’ understanding of scientific models was evaluated. Preliminary results indicate improvements in students’ ability to understand what scientific models are and how they function, but identifying which specific aspects of the nature of models are most influenced by this approach remains a challenge to be addressed.