Describes general characteristics of enquiry - principle of enquiry, fact, problem, hypothesis, interpretation and outcome. These characteristics of enquiry give rise to five general characteristics of knowledge. (LS)

Describes a one semester introductory physics course for physical science students with PSSC and calculus as prerequisites. Course content concentrates on the properties of the electron, positron, andphoton. Summarizes the student evaluation of the course and the laboratory equipment used. (Author/DS)

Describes how the isometric projection with a transparent grid showing the x, y, and z axes drawn at 120 degrees each other is used. This method of presenting atomic orbitals was developed using the Cambridge University Titan computer and has the advantage over contour maps in that there is no distortion. (LS)

This article attempts to provide would-be solar system designers with a few of the reasons behind the devices found in liquid media solar collection systems. (Author)

Addresses Lawson's (2002) interpretations of Galileo's discovery of the moons of Jupiter and other cases that exhibit historical errors. Suggests that such cases can distort history and lessons about the nature of science. (SOE)

Examines how high school students think about science that is mediated by four different program genres on television: (1) documentary; (2) magazine-format programming; (3) network news; and (4) dramatic or fictional programming. Discusses findings regarding ethics and the validity of science, final form science, science as portrayed by its…

Investigates the role of the nature of science in decision making on science- and technology-based issues. Delineates factors and reasoning associated with types of decisions. Compares decision influence factors and decision-making strategies. Indicates that participants based their decisions primarily on personal values, morals/ethics, and social…

Describes current debates over the nature of science in the science curriculum. Illustrates the subtle ways in which epistemological portrayals have been influenced with regard to the public's relationship with institutional science in the United States by using the curricular ideas of John Dewey and Joseph Schwab as an historical perspective.…

Discusses biology instruction focusing on evolution-related policies and state guidelines. Reports on teacher preferences for teaching either creationism or evolution in science classes and compares these results between states based on grade level and how they treat evolution in their educational standards. (Contains 26 references.) (YDS)

A cautious introduction of the dialogue between science and religion into a college astronomy course provoked diverse reactions from the 340 students in the course. Reports that approximately half of the students in the class engaged with the issue of science and religion to some extent and that there were few negative reactions to this…

Reports on the processes and outcomes of practices in a preservice elementary science methods course designed to fathom existing student perceptions of the nature of science and move students from holding individually constructed, typically limited views on the nature of science towards more rich, publicly negotiated views. Uses an…

Investigates the influence of an explicit and reflective inquiry-oriented instructional approach compared with an implicit inquiry-oriented approach on sixth grade students' understanding of the nature of science (NOS). Emphasizes tentative, empirical, inferential, and imaginative and creative NOS. Involves (n=62) sixth grade students in two…

There are many versions of constructivism. One common argument against a constructivist approach is that it contains elements of instrumentalist, operationalist, and idealist epistemologies that distort the true nature of science including the goals of science and how scientists actually operate. A pedagogy based more on a realist epistemology…

Determines that the philosophical basis for science education is likely to be an interesting field in the 21st century and that there is a need to provide the practicing teacher with some ideas for daily work such as local, national, and international student cooperation; using student lab reports to develop local scientific journals; and having…

Introduces an assessment instrument developed to evaluate students' views on the nature of science. Examines the ways in which learners mark out science as a particular domain, particularly the types of questions that they think are open to scientific investigation. (Contains 35 references.) (Author/YDS)