| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立花蓮師範學院 === 國小科學教育研究所 === 87 === Science teacher understanding of the nature of science and his teaching practice:A case study of an elementary school teacher
Abstract
To build up citizenship with scientific literacy is the ultimate goal for current science education; and the understanding the nature of science is one of the major components which build up scientific literacy. Research in Taiwan concerning the issues related to the nature of science are not many and most of them have explored the area quantitatively. Since the data resulted from these quantitative research can only show facial symptoms without reasons, this research intended to deepen our understanding qualitatively. The subject is an elementary science teacher. Combining the advantages of interpretative study and the questionnaire, this study have revealed relationships between a teacher understanding of the nature of science and his teaching practices.
In order to collect data thoroughly, both quantitative and qualitative approaches were adopted. A questionnaire called TOUS was used at the beginning and the end of a semester to probe the status of teacher understanding of the nature of science; semi-structured interviews were followed after each questionnaire test. Accordingly, themes of the teacher''s understanding of the nature of science was uncovered. With a rough picture of teacher understanding of the nature of science at the beginning of a semester, a series of observation, interviews, videotaping, audio-taping and the collection of related documents such as handouts, laboratory sheets, and scores of student term examinations were underway. In addition to triangulation for ensuring the validity and reliability of collected data, the observational strategy for this study was from descriptive observation to focus observation to selective observation. Under such a strategy, the teaching practices were analyzed and filtered and narrowed down to major features which were considered the themes which may fulfill the purposes of this study.
The results of this study indicate that the case teacher, with appropriate understanding of the nature of science, showed no sign of representing his understanding into classroom behaviors. Reasons are many. One of the major factors was that student understanding of the nature of science is not a goal in National Science Curriculum Standards in Taiwan, at least not embedded in textbooks specifically. Therefore, it is not a required piece in current science teaching. Bearing such an image in mind, considering a first-time 5th grader science teacher、with many content units to cover in a very limited time、without sources such as textbooks or empirical valid teaching strategies for supporting, it is not surprising that the case teacher chose to skip or ignore teaching student understanding about the nature of science.
Recommendations for national science curriculum standards、teacher education、and further research are discussed.
Key word : nature of science, case study, science teacher, elementary
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