과학교사들의 과학의 본성에 관한 관점 조사

A Study on Korean Science Teachers' Points of View on Nature of Science

Recent literature in science education has emphasized nature of science in science teaching. The theme has been considered to be an important element for scientific literacy.The purpose of this study was to identify Korean science teachers' points of view on topics related to nature of science, such as definition of science, characteristics of scientific hypotheses, scientific theories and scientific laws, and their construction, scientists, and scientific methods. The relevant 13 items were selected from Views on Science-Technology-Society (VOSTS) by the authors for this study. Most teachers perceived science as an exploratory process or problem solving. Some perceived science as an application of knowledge to make this world a better place to live in. Teachers viewed scientific activities as scholastic and individualistic instead of pragmatic or collective. They did not hold clear understandings of the idea that scientific knowledge is subject to change. As identified in previous studies, teachers thought that scientific ideas develop from hypothesis to theories, and finally to scientific laws. They did not show sound understanding of inventiveness of scientific hypotheses and theories, nor discovery of scientific laws. In summary, teachers' major points of view reflected 'realism'. It suggested that they needed to understand nature of science in the ways which it has been described in recent literature of science education, in order to teach science with personal and social contexts.