Authentic Scientific Inquiry As Context For Teaching Nature Of Science: Identifying Critical Element

This statement encapsulates the most recent reforms that reclaim the importance of introducing students to the culture of science wherein they can develop conceptual understanding of traditional science subject matter, the nature of science (NOS), and scientific inquiry (American Association for the Advancement of Science [AAAS], 1993; NRC, 1996). It is the intercept of these three domains, along with an understanding of the utility of that knowledge to the individual and society that represents the conceptual foundation for a scientifically literate individual. Teaching emphasis has shifted from presenting science as a final body of knowledge to presenting science as a human endeavor that produces a solid (empirically-based and internally consistent), yet fallible, understanding of the natural world (see, for example, Duschl, 1990; Hodson, 1988). Such emphasis on the inclusion of NOS and scientific inquiry in science education extends back nearly a century (e.g. Linville, 1907) and has been described as central to generating an informed citizenry (e.g., Driver, Leach, Millar, & Scott, 1996; McComas, 1998; Schwab, 1962; Smith & Scharmann, 1999). As a pioneer in describing scientific inquiry in the classroom, Joseph Schwab (1962) drew attention to the significance of understanding the source and justification of scientific knowledge. He stated, “The knowledge won through enquiry is not knowledge merely of the facts but of the facts interpreted. And this interpretation, too, depends on the conceptual principle of the enquiry” (p. 14) [emphasis added]. Without understanding the qualities and assumptions that are inherent to the knowledge (NOS) and the processes by which the knowledge was created and accepted (scientific inquiry), the learner can do little more than construct an image of science consisting of isolated “facts” void of context that make the knowledge relevant, applicable, and meaningful (Lederman, 1998)