Developing Students’ Views on the Nature of Science through Non-traditional Writing-to-Learn Experiences in the Science Classroom

abstract

The chapter describes a theory-driven study, inspired and informed by the constructivist view of learning, science literacy theory, views on the NOS, and cognitive and social theories of writing. Relying on the epistemological effect of writing, it explores the effects that non-traditional forms of writing such as story, diary, and debate, have on students’ views on the nature of science when used in combination with reflective writing on the writing process. Using a pre-post research design with intervention and comparative groups totaling 97 eighth graders from a homogenous, middle-class background, in a city in central Israel, the study demonstrates that the combined use of diversified types of nontraditional writing tasks and reflection on the writing process can enhance students’ views on the nature of science, in a direction aligned with the type of scientific literacy sought in science education today. When structured as cognitively and attitudinally challenging assignments concerning scientific and societal issues, such writing genres can encourage students to perceive science as a more subjective, temporary, speculative, and interpretative endeavor that helps to solve problems and social issues. In contrast, no changes in views on the NOS were found for students in the comparative group