Nature of Science

What is Science?

1. Body of Knowledge (facts…)

2. Method/Process (science process skills)

3. A Way of Thinking or Constructing Reality (nature of science!)

How Historians, Philosophers, and Science Educators Have Defined

“Nature of Science”

The values and assumptions inherent to science, scientific knowledge, and/or the development of scientific knowledge.

• Independence of Thought

• Independence of Observation

• Prizing of Originality

• Dissent (Freedom)• Free Inquiry• Free Speech• Tolerance• Mutual Respect

Values and Assumptions

• Creativity• Tentativeness• Amoral• Unified View of

Reality• Parsimonious• Testable• Empirically Based• Culturally and

Socially Embedded

What NOS Can We Teach? 1. Empirical – based on data, testable

2. Tentativeness – subject to change, not certain

3. Creativity – developed with imagination

4. Observation vs. Inference – inferences make sense of observations

5. Subjectivity – each person’s background knowledge & scientific conceptual framework impact how they view data and even their observations

6. Functions and Relationships of Theory & Law – laws and theories have different functions; theories don’t turn into laws

7. Social and Cultural Context – scientific knowledge is developed within a particular social and cultural context; prevailing thinking of the historical period, geographical location, and cultural milieu impact the questions pursued, the methods employed, the interpretation of data, and the reception of findings

8. No Single Scientific Method – Science employs multiple methods. The 5-Step or 7-Step Scientific Method presented in textbooks is a myth. It outlines one example of the many methods employed by scientists.

Ohio’s Academic Standards: Scientific Ways of Knowing

Fig 5

What do you observe?

What can you infer about what is going on here?

What other data would you like to have?

Fig 6

Fig 7What was your data?

Were your observations different from your inferences?

Did everyone infer the same thing? Why would explanations differ?

Did your ideas change with additional data?

How did you develop your explanations from the data?

Empirical

Observation/Inference

Subjectivity

Tentativeness

Creativity