An Emprical Study To Proceed Elementary Student’s Understanding Of Nature Of Science

The purpose of this study is to know elementary school student’s understanding of the nature of science in our country. Based on survey results, this study targeted to improve elementary student’s understanding of nature of science, in order to test the effectiveness of the explicit reflective teaching strategy.Based on the above research purpose, the main contents of this study involves:on the basis of literature review, analyzing the dimension of the nature of science and research tools; choosing elementary students as the participator, a pretest analysis was carried out on student’s views of nature of science. Garring out an experimental research, pointed to implement the explicit reflective teaching intervention; After the experiment, through post-test analysis, come to the conclusions.With the help of the existing research results, this paper uses the Qiu Mingfu’ enclosed questionnaire, combined with modified VNOS-D open-ended questionnaire and depth interview tools, giving elementary student’s views of nature of science a pretest. Set up the experimental classes and comparative classes, giving the experimental class teaching intervention. Mainly through several classic nature of science activities and combined with the inquiry activities in the textbook, aimed to enhance student’s understanding of the seven targeted NOS dimensions. Through the qualitative and quantitative data analysis, this paper came to the following research conclusions:1. Elementary school student’s views of nature of science is not satisfying. Student’s understanding of NOS is on a low level in the pretest analysis. In the scientific knowledge, scientific exploration and scientific enterprise subscale measurement, students have a lower score especially on scientific exploration. In the15NOS sub-dimension enclosed questionnaire investigation, student’s understanding of’tentative, reiteration, creativeness, the myth of scientific methods, subjective, ethics and morality’clearly under the average level. This is coordinate with the open-ended questionnaire results, student’s understanding of the target NOS elements stays in a traditional level and lack certainty.2. Explicit and reflective teaching method is effective in promoting students NOS understanding. The experimental class students NOS understanding has improved on a different level. An outstanding difference emerged in the pre-and posttest especially in scientific knowledge, scientific exploration and the whole NOS questionnaire, which means the intervention strategy is effective. In the open-ended questionnaire posttest analysis, the comparative participant’s understanding level haven’t changed greatly, but the experimental class has a great progress, the percentage of traditional level has reduced greatly, while the transition level has a big rise, but the whole understanding level still needs promoting.3. Elementary students have the developing preparation to gain a better understanding of NOS. In the open-ended questionnaire analysis, students’ understanding level have a big elevation, even some students answer is vague, but is closer to a mature viewpoint. Combined with deep interview, this research consider that elementary students have the developing preparation to gain a better understanding of NOS.On the basis of the above results, this research consider that NOS as a cognitive results, it needs explicit and reflective teaching. Highly effective teaching needs to set up a context and to guide positively, thus will make the approach to enhance students understanding more successful.