Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, 58108-6050, USA.
CBE Life Sci Educ. 2010 Spring;9(1):45-54. doi: 10.1187/cbe.09-05-0029.
Science educators have the common goal of helping students develop scientific literacy, including understanding of the nature of science (NOS). University faculties are challenged with the need to develop informed NOS views in several major student subpopulations, including science majors and nonscience majors. Research into NOS views of undergraduates, particularly science majors, has been limited. In this study, NOS views of undergraduates in introductory environmental science and upper-level animal behavior courses were measured using Likert items and open-ended prompts. Analysis revealed similarities in students' views between the two courses; both populations held a mix of naïve, transitional, and moderately informed views. Comparison of pre- and postcourse mean scores revealed significant changes in NOS views only in select aspects of NOS. Student scores on sections addressing six aspects of NOS were significantly different in most cases, showing notably uninformed views of the distinctions between scientific theories and laws. Evidence-based insight into student NOS views can aid in reforming undergraduate science courses and will add to faculty and researcher understanding of the impressions of science held by undergraduates, helping educators improve scientific literacy in future scientists and diverse college graduates.
科学教育者有一个共同的目标，那就是帮助学生发展科学素养，包括对科学本质（NOS）的理解。大学教师面临着需要在几个主要的学生群体中培养有见识的 NOS 观点的挑战，这些群体包括理科生和非理科生。对本科生，尤其是理科生的 NOS 观点的研究一直很有限。在这项研究中，采用李克特量表和开放式提示，测量了本科生在入门环境科学和高级动物行为课程中的 NOS 观点。分析揭示了这两个课程中学生观点的相似之处；这两个群体都持有混合的天真、过渡和适度知情的观点。对课程前后的平均分数进行比较，只发现 NOS 观点在 NOS 的某些方面有显著变化。在大多数情况下，学生在涉及 NOS 六个方面的部分的分数有显著差异，他们对科学理论和定律之间的区别表现出明显的无知观点。对学生 NOS 观点的基于证据的洞察可以帮助改革本科生科学课程，并增加教师和研究人员对本科生对科学的印象的理解，帮助教育工作者提高未来科学家和不同专业的大学毕业生的科学素养。
