Thinking Like Scientists

1
Thinking Like Scientists

• Using the Nature of Science as a Metacognitive
  Tool
• Erin E. Peters, NBCT
• Williamsburg Middle School
• erin_peters_at_apsva.us

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Seeing the World in a Scientific Way

• All knowledge, all science, thus aims to grasp
  the meaning of objects and events. . . (John
  Dewey)
• How can we get students to
• Construct meaningful frameworks?
• Think like scientists?

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The Nature of Science

• There is something special and unique about the
  discipline of science
• What is scientific?

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The Nature of Science

• Looking at the Nature of Science (NOS) from three
  perspectives
• Philosophy of science principles that guide
  scientists in investigations
• Practical research about how NOS is understood by
  teachers and taught in the classroom
• National standards resources for NOS

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Philosophy of Science

• Most literature converges on 7 different aspects
  of science
• Scientific knowledge is tentative but durable
• Science has a creative and a subjective component
• Historical, social and cultural factors influence
  science
• Empirical evidence is used to support ideas

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Philosophy of Science (cont.)

• 5. Science and technology impact each other but
  are not the same
• 6. Careful data recording is a habit of mind of
  scientists
• 7. Theories help to connect and explain
  scientific facts
• (Resources to Read Handout)

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Research about the Practical Side of NOS

• Implicitly teaching NOS through inquiry has very
  little effect on students
• (Lederman, 1999 and Khishfe Abd-El-Khalick,
  2002 )
• Many of the interventions have had some success,
  but it is somewhat limited
• (Bell, Lederman, Abd-El-Khalick, 2000)
• Even when teachers have a deep understanding of
  NOS, it is difficult to transfer to classroom
  activities
• (Southerland, Gess-Newson Johnston, 2003)

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National Standards

• National Science Education Standards
• Teaching Standards A, B, C, and E
• Professional Development Standard A and B
• Content Standard B
• Benchmarks for Science Literacy
• Scientific World View
• Scientific Inquiry
• The Scientific Enterprise

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So HOW do we teach NOS?

• Connect NOS to something we already teach
• process skills
• NOS ? process skills
• NOS WHY we do process skills
• (Connections between NOS and Science Inquiry
  handout)

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Metacognition

• The ability to think about and evaluate your own
  way of knowing
• Without metacognitive skills, students have
  difficulty becoming independent learners

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Metacognition and NOS

• Using metacognitive prompts based on NOS, we can
  help students develop an idea about how
  scientists operate
• (NOS as Metacognition handout)

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Two reasons to use metacognition and NOS

• Resolves student conflict that science is a
  rational endeavor, yet our scientific knowledge
  continues to change
• Gives students opportunities to see science
  happening outside the classroom

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Example
Situation Application of NOS
Lab where many trials are recorded Why are you recording multiple trials?
Making conclusions Name the specific observations on which you base your conclusions.
Collecting data Is you data organized to show a point?
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Activity

• With the table, Metacognitive Tools using the
  Nature of Science
• Talk with the person sitting next to you to
  identify where you could place some of the
  questions in the lab Determining Solubility
• Report out to the group

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Ask yourself this . . .

• If students do not have an understanding of the
  paradigms which scientists use to guide their
  ideas and investigations, how can students
  further their own learning when they leave our
  classes?

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Website for more details

• http//mason.gmu.edu/epeters1
• or email me at
• Erin_Peters_at_apsva.us