Currently, it is considered fundamental to improve students' views of the nature of science (NOS) in science classes. In addition, models are also important in science education, not only as contributors for students to develop their views of the NOS, but also for them to develop conceptual knowledge, as well as inquiry skills. Teachers greatly…

Despite the relevance of nature of science and scientific models in science education, studies reveal that students do not possess adequate views regarding these topics. Bearing in mind that both teachers' views and knowledge strongly influence students' educational experiences, the main scope of this study was to evaluate Portuguese prospective…

Newton's cradle, a device consisting of a chain of steel balls suspended in alignment, has been used extensively in physics teaching to demonstrate the principles of conservation of momentum and kinetic energy in elastic collisions. The apparent simplicity of the device allows one to test commonly hold views regarding the intuitive understanding…