Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The Inclusion of the Nature of Science in Nine Recent International Science Education Standards Documents

  • Article
  • Published:
Science & Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Understanding the nature of science (NOS) has long been a desired outcome of science education, despite ongoing disagreements about the content, structure, and focus of NOS expectations. Addressing the concern that teachers likely focus only on student learning expectations appearing in standards documents, this study examines the current state of NOS in science education standards documents from nine diverse countries to determine the overt NOS learning expectations that appeared, NOS statements provided near those learning expectations, but not identified as learning outcomes (such as chart column headers or footnotes), and NOS statements found in ancillary text (e.g., introductory material or appendices). Findings indicate that NOS ideas rarely occur as expectations for student learning and are far more commonly found in ancillary material. Moreover, consensus was not apparent in the overt learning outcomes for students. Given the well-documented poor state of NOS instruction and the consistent lack of NOS appearing in published curriculum materials, the NOS standards appearing in nearly all documents analyzed are unlikely to provide sufficient conceptual or pedagogical support for NOS to be accurately interpreted or translated into meaningful experiences for students.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abd-El-Khalick, F., & Lederman, N. G. (2000). The influence of history of science courses on students’ views of nature of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37(10), 1057–1095.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abd-El-Khalick, F., Bell, R. L., & Lederman, N. G. (1998). The nature of science and instructional practice: making the unnatural natural. Science Education, 82, 417–437.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Abd-El-Khalick, F., Waters, M., & Le, A. (2008). Representations of nature of science in high school chemistry textbooks over the past four decades. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 45(7), 835–855.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allchin, D. (2011). Evaluating knowledge of the nature of (whole) science. Science Education, 95, 518–542.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alshamrani, S. M. (2008). Context, accuracy and level of inclusion of nature of science concepts in current high school physics textbooks. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR.

  • Babikian, E. (1975). An aberrated image of science in elementary school science textbooks. School Science and Mathematics., 75(5), 457–460.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Backhus, D. A. & Thompson, K. W. (2006). Addressing the nature of science in preservice science teacher preparation programs: science educator perceptions. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 17(1), 65–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carvalho, W., & Carvalho, C. (2002). Roleplays in middle school science textbooks: a significant contribution to the history of science teaching. In Rethinking science and technology education to meet the demands of future generations in a changing world. International Organization for Science and Technology Education (IOSTE) Symposium Proceedings. Foz do Iguacu, Parana, Brazil. July 28–August 2.

  • Chiappetta, E.L., Ganesh, T.G., Lee, Y.H., & Phillips, M.C. (2006). Examination of science textbook analysis research conducted on textbooks published over the past 100 years in the United States. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, San Francisco, CA.

  • Clough, M. P. (2004). The nature of science: understanding how the “game” of science is played. Chapter 8 in. In J. Weld (Ed.), The game of science education (pp. 198–227). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clough, M. P. (2006). Learners’ responses to the demands of conceptual change: considerations for effective nature of science instruction. Science & Education, 15(5), 463–494.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clough, M. P. (2007). Teaching the nature of science to secondary and post-secondary students: questions rather than tenets, The Pantaneto Forum, 25, http://pantaneto.co.uk/issue-25/, January. Reprinted (2008) in the California Journal of Science Education, 8(2), 31–40.

  • Clough, M. P. (2011). The story behind the science: bringing science and scientists to life in post-secondary science education. Science & Education, 20(7–8), 701–717.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clough, M. P. (2018). Framing and teaching the nature of science as questions. In McComas (Ed.) The Nature of Science: Rationales and Strategies (2nd Edition). Berlin: Springer.

  • Cobern, W. W., & Loving, C. C. (1998). Defining “science” in a multicultural world: implications for science education. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching. San Diego, CA, April 19–22.

  • Cromer, A. (1993). Uncommon sense: the heretical nature of science. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duschl, R. A. (1994). Research on the history and philosophy of science. In D. L. Gabel (Ed.) Handbook of research on science teaching and learning (pp. 445–455). New York: MacMillan.

  • Glaser, B. G. (1965). The constant comparative method of qualitative analysis. Social Problems, 12(4), 436–445.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herman, B. C., Clough, M. P., & Olson, J. K. (2013). Association between experienced teachers’ NOS implementation and reform-based practices. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 24(7), 1077–1102.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hodson, D., & Wong, S. L. (2017). Going beyond the consensus view: broadening and enriching the scope of NOS-oriented curricula. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 17(1), 3–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hottecke, D., & Silva, C. C. (2011). Why implementing history and philosophy in school science education is a challenge: an analysis of obstacles. Science & Education, 20(3–4), 293–316. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-010-9285-4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hurd, P. D. (1997). Inventing science education for the new millennium. New York: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jenkins, E. W. (2013). The “nature of science” in the school curriculum: the great survivor. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 45(2), 132–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • King, B. B. (1991). Beginning teachers’ knowledge of and attitudes toward history and philosophy of science. Science Education, 75(1), 135–141.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lakin, S., & Wellington, J. (1994). Who will teach the ‘nature of science’?: Teachers’ views of science and their implications for science education. International Journal of Science Education, 16(2), 175–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laudan, L., Donovan, A., Laudan, R., Barker, P., Brown, H., Leplin, J., & Wykstra, S. (1986). Scientific change: philosophical models and historical research. Synthese, 69, 141–223.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lederman, N. G. (1992). Students’ and teachers’ conceptions of the nature of science: a review of the research. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 29, 331–359.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lederman, N. G. (1999). Teachers’ understanding of the nature of science and classroom practice: factors that facilitate or impede the relationship. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 36(8), 916–929.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lederman, N. G., & Lederman, J. S. (2014). Is nature of science going, going, going, gone? Journal of Science Teacher Education, 25, 235–238.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lederman, N. G., Abd-El-Khalick, F., Bell, R. L., & Schwartz, R. S. (2002). Views of nature of science questionnaire: toward valid and meaningful assessment of learners’ conceptions of nature of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39, 497–521.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loving, C. C. (1997). From the summit of truth to the slippery slopes: Science education's journey through positivist-postmodernist territory. American Educational Research Journal, 34(3), 421–452

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald, C., & Abd-El-Khalick, F. (2017). Representations of nature of science in school science textbooks: a global perspective. New York: Routledge.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Matthews, M. (1994). Science teaching: the role of history and philosophy of science. New York: Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matthews, M. R. (2012). Changing the focus: from nature of science (NOS) to features of science (FOS). In M. Khine (Ed.), Advances in Nature of Science Research (pp. 3–26). Dordrecht: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • McComas, W. F. (2005). Seeking NOS standards: what content consensus exists in popular books on the nature of science. Presented at the annual conference of the National Association of Research in Science Teaching, Dallas, TX.

  • McComas, W. F., & Nouri, N. (2016). The nature of science and the Next Generation Science Standards: analysis and critique. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 27, 555–576.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McComas, W. F., & Olson, J. K. (1998). The nature of science in international science education standards documents. In W. F. McComas (Ed.), The nature of science in science education: rationales and strategies (pp. 41–52). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Kluwer.

    Google Scholar 

  • McComas, W. F., Clough, M. P., & Almazroa, H. (1998). The role and character of the nature of science in science education. In W. F. McComas (Ed.), The nature of science in science education: rationales and strategies (pp. 3–39). Dordrecht: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mulhall, P., & Gunstone, R. (2008). Views about physics held by physics teachers with differing approaches to teaching physics. Research in Science Education, 38, 435–462.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nature (2017, March 9). School daze: as US states turn the screw on science education, researchers everywhere should pay more attention to how their subject is presented. Editorial. Vol. 543, 149.

  • Olson, J. K., Tippett, C. M., Milford, T., Ohana, C., & Clough, M. P. (2015). Science teacher education in a North American context. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 26(1), 7–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osborne, J. (2017). Going beyond the consensus view: a response. Canadian Journal of Science, Mathematics and Technology Education, 17(1), 53–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Osborne, J., Duschl, R., & Fairbrother, R. (2002). Breaking the mould? Teaching science for public understanding. King’s College London http://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/sites/default/files/Breaking%20the%20mould_science%20for%20public%20understanding.pdf.

  • Rudolph, J. D. (2000). Reconsidering the “nature of science” as a curriculum component. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 32(3), 403–419.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rudolph, J. D. (2002). Portraying epistemology: school science in historical context. Science Education, 87(1), 64–79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ryder, J. (2001). Identifying science understanding for functional scientific literacy. Studies in Science Education, 36, 1–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schrauth, B. A. (2009). The portrayal of the nature of science in early childhood instructional materials. Graduate Theses and Dissertations., 10, 989 http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/10989.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, M. U., Lederman, N. G., Bell, R. L., McComas, W. F., & Clough, M. P. (1997). How great is the disagreement about the nature of science: a response to Alters. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 34(10), 1101–1103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tao, P. K. (2003). Eliciting and developing junior secondary students’ understanding of the nature of science through a peer collaboration instruction in science stories. International Journal of Science Education, 25(2), 147–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • U.S. Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (2003). What is your child reading in school? How standards and textbooks influence education. Senate Hearing 108–272. September 24. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office. Retrieved from https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-108shrg89644.pdf

  • Wang, H. C., & Cox-Peterson, A. (2002). A comparison of elementary, secondary and student teachers’ perceptions and practices related to history of science instruction. Science & Education, 11, 69–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wolpert, L. (1992). The unnatural nature of science. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yip, D. (2006). Using history to promote understanding of nature of science in science teachers. Teaching Science 17(2), 157–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The author wishes to thank Michael P. Clough, William F. McComas, and the three anonymous reviewers for their helpful feedback, and many generous colleagues around the globe who contributed standards documents for this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Texas A&M University, 443 Harrington Tower, 4232 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843-4232, USA

    Joanne K. Olson

Authors
  1. Joanne K. Olson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joanne K. Olson.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The author declares no conflict of interest.

Appendix: Standards documents analyzed in this study

Appendix: Standards documents analyzed in this study

Australia: australiancurriculum.edu.au/senior-secondary-curriculum/science and australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/science

British Columbia Ministry of Education (2016). Draft curriculum. Science- Physics. Grade 12. https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/sites/curriculum.gov.bc.ca/files/pdf/10-12/science/en_s_12_phy_elab.pdf

British Columbia Ministry of Education (2016). Draft curriculum. Science – Life Sciences. Grade 11. https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/sites/curriculum.gov.bc.ca/files/pdf/10-12/science/en_s_11_lsc_elab.pdf

British Columbia Ministry of Education (2016). Science. Grades K-9. https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/science

Indonesia: Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan. (2013). Kompetensi dasar Sekolah Menengah Pertama / Madrasah Tsanawiyah, pages i, 1–7, 48–55. (Translated by Michael Michie).

Lebanon: Center for Educational Research and Development (2016). Curriculum of Science. Republic of Lebanon Ministry of Education and Higher Education. Beirut: Lebanon. http://www.crdp.org/curr-content-desc?id=23

Ministerio de Educación Nacional República de Colombia (2004). Formar en ciencias: ¡el desafío! www.mineducacion.gov.co

Mexico (2011). Ciencias Naturales Programas de studio, Guía para el Maestro Primaria. Quinto grado.

South Africa Department of Basic Education (2011). National Curriculum Statement (NCS), Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement. Natural Sciences and Technology, Intermediate Phase, Grades 4-6 and Life Sciences and Physical Sciences, Further Education and Training Phase, Grades 10-12. Pretoria: Republic of South Africa.

Thailand: Institute for the Promotion of Teaching Science and Technology (2008). The Basic Education Core Curriculum B.E. 2551 (A.D. 2008). Science. Ministry of Education: Thailand.

USA: Achieve, Inc. (2013). Next Generation Science Standards. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Olson, J.K. The Inclusion of the Nature of Science in Nine Recent International Science Education Standards Documents. Sci & Educ 27, 637–660 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-018-9993-8

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-018-9993-8

Search

Navigation