Nature of Science FPLC Kraft 2006-7
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My Teaching Project for the Nature of Science Faculty and Professional Learning Community, Kaatje Kraft, Physical Science Department, Mesa Community College, Contact me (mailto:k.kraft@mail.mc.maricopa.edu)
Summary: I want to understand if practices I implement in my classroom are effective at helping my students to better understand the nature of science. I try to explicitely discuss the nature of science within the context of my geoscience courses. These discussions are as a result of conversations and readings that have occurred due to my partipation with this group.
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NOS FPLC Background
Our goals as a group are still pretty much the same as that from the NOS FPLC from 2005-2006 academic year which were stated as, "The goal of our Nature of Science Faculty Learning Community is to promote the understanding and appreciation of the nature of science, technology, engineering and math by all students to enable them to be informed and productive citizens, professionals, and scientists of tomorrow."
Project Goals and Objectives
Key Question
Did our students understanding of the Nature of Science change when confronted with ideas and activities that force students to address the nature of science?
Focus Course Information or Context for Project
The course I have focused on for my project was my geologic disasters class (GLG 110) in which I have successfully implemented a case-based study curriculum. This has imbedded the generally good teaching practices of the basics (National Research Council, 2005):
- Teaching in a framework of knowledge
- Addressing prior knowledge & understanding
- Creating opportunities for reflection and metacognition
Project Implementation and Assessment Methods
General Overview
I have been using a modified version of the Nature of Science card exchange activity as described by Cobern & Loving (1998) in my class to measure if a change in understanding of the nature of science occurs from the beginning of my class to the end. Students create group paragraphs at the beginning of the semester and are then asked to revise their paragraphs at the end of the semester.
Card Exchange Activity
Students are presented with cards that have varying statements about the Nature of Science that represent several different viewpoints.
- Theory: the use of theory in science
- Scientism: (placing science on a pedestal)
- Empirical: (observation only driven)
- Language & Communication: (the use of it) in science
- Anti-science
- Culture: (how culture, society and history have influenced science)
- Balanced: (a balance between scientism, anti-science & empirical viewpoints).
Students go through several steps of processing their cards:
- As an individual with ~6 six cards
- As a pair with ~12 cards
- As foursome with ~24 cards
There are a total of 40 cards, so students do not see all the cards, but will see examples from each of the categories.
Project Results
Analysis Procedure
Paragraphs were graded with a rubric looking for common misconceptions (-5 possible points) and key concepts students should have by the end of the semester (+5 possible points).
Key concepts students should know:
- A: "Science is based on observation, experimentation, and evidence“
- B: "Science is based in theory (or it builds on ideas already constructed & accepted)”
- C: "Science is successful when shared publicly through written or oral communication“
- D: "Science is self-correcting through time due to a peer review process, it changes over time as a result.”
- E: "Cultural, historical, societal pressures & influences affect the development of knowledge"
Common Misconceptions:
- F: Lacks the distinction between science and technology (science is the same as technology)
- G: "Science is complete guesswork and/or completely biased.“
- H: "Science is pure and humans who do it are completely free from biases“
- I: "Science never changes, once an idea is constructed, it is the absolute truth“
- J: "Science is about proving theories or it is just a theory."
Results
There was not a significant difference in the pre vs. the post scores on the tests in the first graph.
These scores may partially go down in figures 2 & 3 due to a misunderstanding by some students on the final assignment.
Project Conclusions
- Total scores were not significant to draw conclusions about their overall understanding about the nature of Science (figure 1)
- As a whole, all students had fewer informed and misinformed ideas about the nature of science (figure 2 & 3)
- While student understanding of the Nature of Science does not seem to grow, the misconceptions do appear to diminish significantly (figure 3)
- Most students have a strong understanding that science is based on observation and experimentation (figure 2).
- Most students struggle with the terminology distinction between a scientific theory and a “layman’s” theory (figure 3).
Reflection on My NOS FPLC Experience
All in all, this has been a tremendously valuable experience for me as both a participant and as a facilitator. I have had the privelege of working with truly talented individuals from a variety of disciplines that have been inspiring.
Some of the most positive experiences I think we have had in the past two years have included (not necessarily in any particular order):
- PKal conference in San Antonio
- Dinners at Brad's & my house for our group
- FLC training in California
- On Campus Retreats
- Exploratory food eating in our meetings this past semester
- The amazing conversations and discussions and friendships that have been bourne out of this experience.
- An MIL fellowship based on the ideas I've gained from these experiences.
Future directions for enhancing student learning in my classroom
- In the future, class activities and discussions will be revised to more directly address the nature of science. *Homework and reflective exercises will be added to the curriculum to help the students to think about and reflect on the nature of science throughout the semester.
- Additional questions will be given to have the students explain their reasoning more completely. Follow-up comments from the instructor may help them clarify their reasoning and provide a more complete picture of their understanding of the nature of science.
- With more direct concentration and focus on the nature of science throughout the semester, it is hoped that in future implementations the students will show greater change in their understanding with their final paragraph revision.
Annotated Reference List
- Cobern & Loving (1998). The Card Exchange: Introducing the Philosophy of Science in The Nature of Science in Science Education: Rationales and Strategies. McComas (ed), Kluwer Publishing, Netherlands. pps. 73-82.
- National Research Council (2005). How Students Learn Science in the Classroom. National Academies Press, Washington, D.C.
