The purpose of this study was to validate a new questionnaire for assessing students' beliefs about the nature of science (BANOS). Existing instruments have limitations in terms of psychometric validity. A new questionnaire termed "BANOS" was developed to address such limitations. The BANOS is based on dimensions of the nature of science…

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of research-inquiry-based learning approach on the Scientific Reasoning Skills of Science Education Prospective Teachers in the Nature of Science and Science History Course. The study was designed as a single group pre-test -- post-test model. The study group consisted of 31 prospective teachers…

A persistent problem in engineering-focused science instruction is the "design--science gap," whereby learners focus on building successful engineering products, instead of focusing on the relevant scientific principles. This research explores (a) whether integrating contrasting cases into engineering activities can impact how deeply…

Research in teacher education has given increasing attention to pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) as a theoretical construct that describes necessary knowledge for teachers to teach specific content. This research study aims to examine whether an understanding about the nature of science (NOS) correlates with orientation to teaching science…

Though there are a multiplicity of approaches that have been used to promote Nature of Science (NOS) among school students, an approach based on exploration of a scientific discovery indigenous to the sample population, of contemporary interest, and based on a topic outside the school science syllabus seems to be lacking in the literature. This…

In this article, we present how educational resources for zoology designed by undergraduate students help to propose means of action for teaching diversity and animal evolution in basic education. We realised that activities of creation and analysis of educational resources, in the context of didactic planning, have the potential to approximate…

The discovery of and research into penicillin resistance by Sir Edward Abraham and Sir Ernst Chain can be used to teach the concept of natural selection and also multiple nature of science (NOS) objectives associated with Next Generation Science Standards, such as "scientific knowledge is based on empirical evidence" and "science is…

While helping students develop informed views about nature of scientific inquiry (VNOSI) has been emphasised in science education, little is known regarding students' current VNOSI at a certain grade level and whether there was evidence of higher attainment of VNOSI in students in higher grades as compared to lower grades? The purpose of this…

The study aimed to investigate the retention of acquired argumentation and NOS conceptions among grade 10 students three months after the treatment. Thirty-six grade 10 students in two intact sections, randomly assigned into the Treatment and Comparison groups, participated in the study. The participants engaged in a treatment that lasted for four…

In England, both Religious Education (RE) and science are mandatory parts of the school curriculum throughout the 5-16 age range. Nevertheless, there remain concerns that, as in many countries, students do not have a good understanding about the scope of each subject nor about how the two subjects relate. This article reports on a study that…

Investigating scientific reasoning comprehensively with large sample sizes is a challenge, especially in young children where there is little evidence showing that paper-and-pencil instruments can be used to reliably measure competencies. The present study with 122 third graders compares three test modalities: an established interview (Science-K…

We propose explicit and implicit approaches for the teaching of acid-base chemistry based on research into the history and nature of science (NoS). To support these instructional proposals, we identify four rationales for students to understand acid-base processes: daily life, socio-scientific, curriculum, and history of science. The extensive…

The aim of this study is to evaluate science teacher candidates based on bioethical values, scientific literacy level and empathy skills and to determine their associations. Therefore, descriptive model was used for the study. The sample of the study consists total of 286 teacher candidates from first, second, third and fourth grade of Faculty of…

This study, which was conducted in 2016-2017 academic year, scrutinized the impact of a purposefully designed professional development program titled 'NOS-PD' on the understandings of the Nature of Science (NOS) via instructional practices. Specifically, the purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to delineate the impact of a NOS…

The purpose of this study was to examine how pre-service science teachers develop their understandings of nature of scientific inquiry during the science laboratory course with preparing 5E based lesson plans, and how they transfer those understandings into their teaching practices. All data were collected and analysed qualitatively by using the…