Assessing teachers' competencies in identifying aspects of nature of science in educational critical scenarios

Serhat Irez; Cigdem Han-Tosunoglu; Nihal Dogan; Gultekin Cakmakci; Yalcin Yalaki; Eda Erdas-Kartal

Serhat Irez Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Ataturk Faculty of Education, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3294-4666
Cigdem Han-Tosunoglu Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Ataturk Faculty of Education, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey
Nihal Dogan Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Faculty of Education, Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University, Bolu, Turkey,
Gultekin Cakmakci Department of Mathematics and Science Education, Faculty of Education, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
Yalcin Yalaki Department of Elementary Education, Faculty of Education, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey
Eda Erdas-Kartal Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Education, Kastamonu University, Kastamonu, Turkey

Abstract

Many scholars and science curricula from around the world describe socioscientific issues (SSIs) as meaningful contexts for teaching about the nature of science (NOS). These calls are guided by the assumption that science teachers are able to identify relevant aspects of the NOS in a given SSI and to decide how to utilize these for NOS instruction. To this end, this study aimed to assess a group of science teachers’ competencies in identifying aspects of the NOS in various educational critical scenarios (ECS) featuring different SSI. 15 science teachers’ understandings of the NOS were assessed through interviews and their competence in identifying aspects of the NOS in given ECSs was addressed through an open-ended questionnaire. The results indicated that, although all of the participants had informed views regarding the majority of the aspects of the NOS, the majority of them failed to transfer this knowledge and could not exhibit similar competence in identifying some aspects of NOS in ECSs. This implies that having an informed understanding of the NOS does not guarantee effective translation of this understanding into the classrooms.

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