The Changes of postgraduate Students' Conceptions towards the Nature of Science through the Course related to Philosophy of Science

과학 철학을 수강하는 대학원생의 과학의 본성에 대한 인식의 변화

This study investigated 15 Postgraduate students' conception toward the nature of science and the changes of those conceptions through the course called 'Philosophy of Science and Science Education', And another 8 postgrauate students who took the course called 'Mathematical Physics' were also investigated for comparison. A survey questionnaire involving 9 items was developed and administered before and after the course to both groups. Individual interviews with students taking 'Philosophy of Science and Science Education' were carried out in a small scale for obtaining additional information about their background knowledge. The results of this study showed that the students' traditional views of philosophy of science including the objective observation and the inductive method were reduced after the course, 'Philosophy of Science and Science Education'. On the other hand. views of modem philosophy of science including the theory-laden observation, the tentativeness of scientific knowledge and science as human activities became more popular. It was also found that their conceptions towards Science were different according to their previous knowledges on the philosophy of science and their majors.