A Case Study Of Teachers' Conceptions Of The Nature Of Science

To develop citizens with scientific literacy is the ultimate goal of current science education for students in junior high schools; and understanding the nature of science is one of the major components that constitutes scientific literacy. Researchers throughout the world have paid special attention, both theoretically and practically, to investigate the conception of science educators, teachers and students, towards the nature of science. Reviewed the relevant literatures available, this paper is to deeply explore a junior-high-school teacher's viewpoint of scientific nature, applying the methodology of case study and relying on various data gathering techniques such as survey, interview and non-participative observation, then to disclose some hidden reasons and to make some generalization. The findings of this research are as follows:·The main characteristics of the case teacher's conception towards the nature of science are:a. science as unchangeable truth; b. scientific knowledge and laws are relevant to but somewhat independent of social culture; c. there's something wrong with the experience nature of scientific theory; d. correctly understanding the models, but having no clear idea about how they are produced; e. no significant difference between observation and deduction; f. unreasonable conclusions on how scientific laws and theories come out and the relationship between them; g. creation and imagination should be absent during data collection, whereas confirming the importance of them in scientific study; h. correctly description of how scientific theories develop while unsure of explicit reasons; i. assuming the laden theory of scientific knowledge; j. modernized opinions about the processes of scientific research; k. correct comments on scientists.·Factors affecting case teacher's conception of the nature of science are:a. study experience, including science education, books reading about science, the history of science and philosophy of science, materialism education and so forth; b. research activities of education; c. educational philosophy and pedagogical methods; d. national contexts.Finally, some recommendations for teacher education and teaching-manual designing are provided, meanwhile suggestions are offered for future research.