Pixel International Conferences

Digital Library Directory > New Perspectives in Science Education 11th Edition 2022
New Perspectives in Science Education 11th Edition 2022

Maltese Post-Secondary Lecturers’ Views on the Nature of Science

Rachel Pace; Martin Musumeci

Abstract

This study investigates the nature of science (NOS) views of Maltese, post-secondary lecturers. The research tools were the SUSSI questionnaire coupled with semi-structured interviews based on the VNOS-Form C questionnaire. A total of 252 questionnaires and ten interviews were collected. They had transitional to adequate views on five NOS components: the tentativeness of scientific theories, scientific methodology, the social/cultural aspect of science, the use of imagination and creativity, and the nature of observations and inferences with inadequate views regarding the distinction between laws and theories.

The NOS ideas of various subgroups were highly uniform per age group and lecturing experience. Gender yielded a statistically significant difference on the distinction between laws and theories. Comparing areas of specialisation, applied science lecturers had more naïve views on most NOS components, yielding statistically significant differences on imagination and creativity and changes in theories. Considering closest traditional area, lecturers with Physics as closest area exhibited more naïve views on both change of scientific theories and the social/cultural aspect. For NOS views per highest qualification, PhDs had significantly better views on change of scientific theories.

Keywords:  NOS, post-secondary sector, lecturers

REFERENCES

1.   Creswell, J. W. (2015). A Concise Introduction to Mixed Methods Research. SAGE.

2.   Irez, S. (2006). Are We Prepared? An Assessment of Preservice Science Teacher Educators’ Beliefs About Nature of Science. Science Education90, 1113-1143.

3.   Lederman, N. G., Abd-El-Khalick, F., Bell, R. L., & Schwartz, R. S. (2002). Views of nature of science questionnaire: Toward valid and meaningful assessment of learners’ conceptions of nature of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching39(6), 497-521.

4.   Liang, L. L., Chen, S., Chen, X., Kaya, O. N., Adams, A. D., Macklin, M., & Ebenezer, J. (2009). Preservice teachers' views about the Nature of Scientific Knowledge Development: An international collaborative study. International Journal of Science Education7, 987-1012.

5.   Miller, M. C., Montplaisir, M. L., Offerdahl, E. G., Cheng, F., & Ketterling, G. L. (2010). Comparison of views of the nature of science between natural science and nonscience majors. CBE—Life Sciences Education9, 45-54.

6.   Schwartz, R.S., & Lederman, N. G. (2008). What Scientists Say: Scientists’ views of nature of science and relation to science context. International Journal of Science Education30(6), 727-771.

7.   Shi, W., & Wang, J. (2017). Comparison on views of Nature of Science between Math and Physics students. Journal of Baltic Science Education16(1), 77-85.

8.   Vella Bondin, A. (2016). Nested epistemologies: Secondary school science teachers views of nature of science, teaching and learning and implications for practice (Unpublished master's thesis). University of Malta, Msida, Malta.


Publication date: 2022/03/18
ISBN: 979-12-80225-41-2
Pixel - Via Luigi Lanzi 12 - 50134 Firenze (FI) - VAT IT 05118710481
    Copyright © 2024 - All rights reserved

Privacy Policy

Webmaster: Pinzani.it