ERIC Number: EJ957593
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2003-May
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0036-6803
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Confronting and Changing Middle School Teachers' Perceptions of Scientific Methodology
Weinburgh, Molly
School Science and Mathematics, v103 n5 p222-232 May 2003
The reform documents of the 1990s stressed that science is not practiced by a rigid scientific method, but science texts continue to describe the process as if it were rigid and linear. The purpose of this investigation was twofold: (a) to explore middle school in-service teachers' perceptions of scientific methodology and (b) to explore ways in which their perceptions change as they engage in reflective activities. Thirty-two masters-level students participated in an 8-week summer course, entitled Concepts and Issues in Middle School Science. One ongoing assignment woven throughout the term involved a series of activities designed to help students reflect on their own understanding of science and the scientific enterprise. Data from the initial activity suggested that all students began the course believing that science is done in a simplistic, linear way, as depicted by many textbooks in the review of the scientific methods. However. by the end of the course, many students held a less rigid and more realistic view of the scientific enterprise. This research documents change in teachers' views over time and discusses the implications for science teacher education.
Descriptors: Textbooks, Scientific Methodology, Science Teachers, Middle School Teachers, Science Education, Teaching Methods, Secondary School Science, Misconceptions, Knowledge Level, Reflection, Scientific Concepts, Teacher Attitudes
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774. Tel: 800-825-7550; Tel: 201-748-6645; Fax: 201-748-6021; e-mail: subinfo@wiley.com; Web site: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/browse/?type=JOURNAL
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A

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