• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.703-722
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• 2006

The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of abduction suggested by C. S. Peirce, and to discuss its implications in science education. Peirce's abduction is the logic of generating hypothesis. Abduction is a kind of logical inference, which colligates general rule and the observed result, and then it makes us judge the observed result as a case of the general rule on the basis of their resemblance. The process of abduction is also the logic of inquiry. In a Peirce's view, inquiry is a struggle for escaping from the condition of 'doubt' and to 'belief the nature of which is the establishment of habits. Because what habit an object has is its whole meaning, in his views, the fixation of belief is the way of attaining the truth related to it. The beliefs of individuals, however, are always fallible. So, to attain a truth, we need the terminal opinion of community of inquiry that could conduct infinite inquiry. These characteristics of Peirce's abduction give suggestions in science education as follows; firstly, hypothesis generating which transforms the condition of 'doubt' into the 'belief by considering practical effects should be highlighted, secondly, logical inference which makes us judge the observed result as a case of the general rule on the basis of resemblance should be highlighted, and thirdly, communities of inquiry which stand on the view of modest realism should be intended toward. These results could be expected in playing a role in critical discussion on science education relating to abduction.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.367-378
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is to investigate the features of science language in Earth science textbooks and Earth science research articles. We examined two Earth science textbooks and two Earth science articles using the taxonomy of scientific words, the text structure analysis of explanations, the analysis of conjunctive relations and reasoning, and the function of conjunction. The results showed that school science language revealed in Earth science textbooks had high proportion of naming words and the text structures in which definition/exemplification structure and description structure were dominant. Also, internal relations that showed additional arrangement rather than logical inference, were predominant in Earth science textbooks. However, scientists' science language revealed in the Earth science articles had more proportion of process words and concept words than the Earth science textbooks and the schematic structure of explanation texts, such as orientation - implication sequence - conclusion. In addition, the text structures in each sentences of implication -sequence showed cause/effect or problem-solving after description structures. Also each sentences expressed causal or abductive reasoning through the internal relations using verbs or adverbial inflection. It is necessary that we bridge the gap between the two languages for students' authentic use of science language. For the bridging, we propose "interlanguage", which mediates between school science language and scientists' language.