ERIC Number: EJ1037858
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Jun
Pages: 26
Abstractor: As Provided
Reference Count: 43
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1609-4913
Thai and Bangladeshi In-Service Science Teachers' Conceptions of Nature of Science: A Comparative Study
Buaraphan, Khajornsak; Abedin Forhad, Ziaul
Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, v15 n1 Article 1 Jun 2014
Understanding of nature of science (NOS) serves as one of the desirable characteristics of science teachers. The current study explored 55 Thai and 110 Bangladeshi in-service secondary science teachers' conceptions of NOS regarding scientific knowledge, scientific method, scientists' work, and scientific enterprise, by using the Myths of Science Questionnaire (MOSQ). The results revealed that Thai and Bangladeshi science teachers had nine different and five similar conceptions of NOS. The most common uninformed NOS conceptions held by both groups were science as cumulative knowledge and a relationship between theories and laws. The most different conceptions of NOS where Thai had more informed conceptions than Bangladeshi participants were science as individual enterprise, creativity and imagination in science, and scientific knowledge coming from experiments. Interestingly, of four subcategories, there were three (i.e. scientific knowledge, method, and enterprise) that Thai science teachers had more informed conceptions than Bangladeshi teachers. The explicit inclusion of NOS in the national science curriculum should be considered. In addition, the pattern of NOS conceptions that emerged from this study can be utilized for designing NOS professional development programs for Asian science teachers.
Descriptors: Science Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, Foreign Countries, Comparative Analysis, Scientists, Scientific Research, Secondary School Teachers, Questionnaires, Creativity, Imagination, National Curriculum, Science Curriculum, Misconceptions, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Social Influences, Cultural Influences
Hong Kong Institute of Education. 10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong. Tel: +011-852-2948-7650; Fax: +011-852-2948-7726; e-mail: apfslt@sci.ied.edu.hk; Web site: http://www.ied.edu.hk/apfslt
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers: Bangladesh; Thailand

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