TY - JOUR
T1 - Reinterpreting and reconstructing science
T2 - Teachers' view changes toward the nature of science by courses of science education
AU - Tsai, Chin Chung
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding for this research work was provided by National Science Council, Taiwan, ROC, under Grant NSC 92-2511-S-009-013. The author also expresses his gratitude to two anonymous referees’ helpful comments for the further development of this article.
PY - 2006/4
Y1 - 2006/4
N2 - The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of science education courses on a group of Taiwanese inservice and preservice teachers' views toward the nature of science. There were two science education courses in the study; one was for 36 inservice teachers, while the other one was for 32 preservice teachers. Both of the courses included the philosophy of science, the instruction about student alternative conceptions and theories of conceptual change, and some classroom activities for science education. The data sources were based upon these teachers' questionnaires, written responses to open-ended questions and interviews. The findings derived from this study revealed that both inservice and preservice teachers, to a certain extent, changed their views toward the nature of science when completing the courses. Many of them might reinterpret and reconstruct their views about science during the courses, and their views had progressed toward more constructivist-oriented. This study also suggested that the instruction about student alternative conceptions and conceptual change theories was more helpful than direct instruction about the philosophy of science in changing teachers' views about science.
AB - The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of science education courses on a group of Taiwanese inservice and preservice teachers' views toward the nature of science. There were two science education courses in the study; one was for 36 inservice teachers, while the other one was for 32 preservice teachers. Both of the courses included the philosophy of science, the instruction about student alternative conceptions and theories of conceptual change, and some classroom activities for science education. The data sources were based upon these teachers' questionnaires, written responses to open-ended questions and interviews. The findings derived from this study revealed that both inservice and preservice teachers, to a certain extent, changed their views toward the nature of science when completing the courses. Many of them might reinterpret and reconstruct their views about science during the courses, and their views had progressed toward more constructivist-oriented. This study also suggested that the instruction about student alternative conceptions and conceptual change theories was more helpful than direct instruction about the philosophy of science in changing teachers' views about science.
KW - Constructivism
KW - Nature of science
KW - Science education
KW - Science teacher education
KW - Taiwan
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U2 - 10.1016/j.tate.2004.06.010
DO - 10.1016/j.tate.2004.06.010
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:30344446337
VL - 22
SP - 363
EP - 375
JO - Teaching and Teacher Education
JF - Teaching and Teacher Education
SN - 0742-051X
IS - 3
ER -