Epistemological Predictors of Prospective Biology Teachers’ Nature of Science Understandings

Pınar Koseoglu; Mustafa Serdar Köksal

doi:10.12973/eurasia.2015.1383a

Full Text (PDF)

Pınar Koseoglu ¹ ^* , Mustafa Serdar Köksal ²

More Detail

¹ Hacettepe University² Inonu University, Department of Elementary Education, Faculty of Education^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate epistemological predictors of nature of science understandings of 281 prospective biology teachers surveyed using the Epistemological Beliefs Scale Regarding Science and the Nature of Science Scale. The findings on multiple linear regression showed that understandings of definition of science and objectivity in science were negatively predicted by beliefs in inborn learning ability (ILA) and requirement for time in learning (RTL), while tentativeness was positively predicted by the same belief factors. Also, understandings of characteristics of scientific knowledge were positively predicted by beliefs in ILA and RTL, and hierarchy between laws and theories were negatively predicted by beliefs in ILA, RTL and development of learning ability with opportunity and support.

Keywords

epistemological beliefs
nature of science
prospective biology teachers
science teacher education

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, Volume 11, Issue 4, 2015, 751-763

https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2015.1383a

Publication date: 13 Jul 2015

Article Views: 2701

Article Downloads: 1296

Open Access References How to cite this article

References

Abd-El-Khalick, F. (1998). The influence of history of science courses on students’ conceptions of nature of science. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Oregon State University, Corvallis.
Aikenhead, G. S. & Ryan, A. G. (1992). The development of a new instrument: “Views on science-technology society” (VOSTS). Science Education, 76, 477–491.
Akerson, V. L., Abd-El-Khalick, F. & Lederman, N. G. (2000). Influence of a reflective explicit activity-based approach on elementary teachers’ conceptions of the nature of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 37, 295–317.
American Association for the Advancement of Science (1990). Science for all Americans. New York: Oxford University Press.
American Association for the Advancement of Science (1993). Benchmarks for science literacy: A Project 2061 report. New York: Oxford University Press.
Baxter Magolda, M. (1992). Knowing and reasoning in college: Gender-related patterns in students’ intellectual development. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Belenky, M., Clinchy, B. M., Goldberger, N. R., & Tarule, J. (1986). Women’s ways of knowing: The development of self, mind, and voice. New York: Basic Books.
Billeh, V. & Hasan, O. (1975). Factors affecting teachers’ gain in understanding the nature of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 12, 209–219.
Bloom, J.W. (1989). Preservice elementary teachers conceptions of science: Science, theories and evolution, International Journal of Science Education, 11, 401–415.
Brownlee, J., Curtis, E., Chesters, S.D., Cobb-Moore, C., Spooner-Lane, R, Whiteford, C. & Tait, G. (2014). Preservice teachers’ epistemic perspectives about philosophy in the classroom: it is not a bunch of ‘hippie stuff’, Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 20(2), 170- 188.
Buehl, M. M. & Alexander, P. A. (2001). Beliefs about academic knowledge. Educational Psychology Review, 13, 385–417.
Carey, R.L. & Stauss, N.G. (1970). An analysis of experienced science teachers’ understanding of the nature of science. School Science and Mathematics, 70, 366–376.
Chan, K. (2004). Preservice teacher's epistemological beliefs and conceptions about teaching and learning: Cultural implications for research in teacher education. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 29(1), 1.
Chan, K.-W. & Elliott, R. (2004). Relational analysis of personal epistemology and conceptions about teaching and learning. Teaching and Teacher Education, 20, 817-831.
Cheng, M.M.H., K.W. Chan, S.Y.F. Tang, and A.Y.N. Cheng. 2009. Pre-service teacher education students’ epistemological beliefs and their conceptions of teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 25, 319–327.
Cho, M., Lankford, D.M. & Wescott, D.J. (2011). Exploring the relationships among epistemological beliefs, nature of science, and conceptual change in the learning of evolutionary theory. Evolution: Education and Outreach, 4(2), 313-322.
Cleminson, A. (1991). Establishing an epistemological base for science teaching in the light of contemporary notions of the nature of science and of how children learn science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching. 27(5), 429- 445.
Deryakulu, D. & Buyukozturk, S. (2002). Epistemolojik inanc olceginin gecerlik ve guvenirlik calismasi [Validity and realiability study of epistemological beliefs questionnaire]. Egitim Arastirmalari, 8, 111–125.
Dogan-Bora, N., Arslan, O. & Cakiroglu, J. (2006). Lise ogrencilerinin Bilim ve Bilim Insani Hakkindaki Gorusleri [The views of lycee students about science and scientists]. Hacettepe University Journal of Education Faculty, 31, 32-44.
Gardner, P. L. (1975). Attitudes to science. Studies in Science Education, 2, 1–41.
Gencer, A.S. (2014). Analysing vee diagram reflections to explore pre-service science teachers’ understanding the nature of science in biology. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 10(5), 437- 446.
Hashweh, M. Z. (1996). Effects of science teachers' epistemological beliefs in teaching. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 33, 47-63.
Hatcher, L. & Stepanski, E. J. (1994). A step-by-step approach to using the SAS system for univariate and multivariate statistics. Cary, NC: SAS Institute.
Hofer, B. K. & Pintrich, P. R. (1997). The development of epistemological theories: Beliefs about knowledge and knowing and their relation to learning. Review of Educational Research, 67, 88-140.
Hofer, B. K. (2000). Dimensionality and disciplinary differences in personal epistemology. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 25, 378–405.
Hofer, B. K. (2001). Personal epistemology research: Implications for learning and teaching. Educational Psychology Review, 13(4), 353-383.
Hofer, B. K. (2002). Personal epistemology as a psychological and educational construct: An introduction. In B. Hofer & P. Pintrich, (Eds)., Personal epistemology: The psychology of beliefs about knowledge and knowing (pp. 3-15). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Irez, S. (2009). Nature of science as depicted in Turkish biology textbooks. Science Education, 93(3), 389-585.
Jegede, O. & Okebukola, P. A. O. (1991) The relationship between African traditional cosmology and students’ acquisition of science process skills. International Journal of Science Education, 13(1), 37-47.
King, P. M. & Kitchener, K.S. (1994). Developing reflective judgment. 1st Ed., San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kishfe, R. & Lederman, N. (2006). Teaching nature of science within a controversial topic: Integrated versus nonintegrated. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 43(4), 395–418.
Khishfe, R. & Lederman, N. G. (2007). Relationship between instructional context and views of nature of science. International Journal of Science Education, 29(8), 939-961.
Koksal, M.S. (2011). Epistemological predictors of selfefficacy on learning biology and test anxiety related to evaluation of learning on biology for pre-service elementary teachers, Journal of Science Teacher Education, 22(7), 661–677.
Koksal, M.S. & Koksal, B. (2012). Investigating understandings of Turkish medical graduate students about nature of scientific knowledge, scientific method, characteristics of scientists and definition of science. Education in Medical Journal, DOI: 10.5959/ eimj.4.1.2012.or6.
Koksal, M.S. & Cakiroglu, J. (2010a). Development of nature of science scale (NSS) for advanced science students, Journal of Baltic Science Education, 9, 87-98.
Koksal, M.S. & Cakiroglu, J. (2010b). Examining science teacher’s understandings of the NOS aspects through the use of knowledge test and open-ended questions, Science Education International, 21(3), 197–211.
Kolstø, S. D. & Mestad, I. (2005). Learning about the nature of scientific knowledge: The imitating-science project. In K. Boersma, M. Goedhart, O. D. Jong, & H. Eijkelhof (Eds.), Research and the quality of science education (pp. 247–258). Dordrecht: Springer.
Lederman, N.G. (1992). Students’ and teachers’ conceptions of the nature of science: A review of the research. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 29(4), 331–359.
Lederman, N.G., Abd-El-Khalick, F., Bell, R.L. & Schwartz, R.S. (2002). Views of nature of science questionnaire: toward valid and meaningful assessment of learners’ conceptions of nature of science. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39(6), 497-521.
Lederman, N. G. (2007). Nature of science: Past, present, and future. In Abell, S. & Lederman, N. (Eds.) Handbook of Research on Science Education. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers.
Liang L. L., Chen, S., Chen, X., Kaya, O, N., Adams, A. D., Macklin, M. & Ebenezer, J. (2008). Assessing preservice elementary teachers views on the nature of scientific knowledge: A dual-response instrument. Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, 9(1), 1.
Liang J. C. & Tsai, C. C. (2010). Relational analysis of college science-major students’ epistemological beliefs toward science and conceptions of learning science. International Journal of Science Education, 32, 2273–2289.
Lin , H-S. & Chen, C-C. (2002). Promoting Preservice Chemistry Teachers’ Understanding about the Nature of Science through History, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 39(9), 773-792.
Liu, S-Y. & Lederman, N.G. (2007) Exploring prospective teachers’ worldviews and conceptions of nature of science, International Journal of Science Education, 29(10), 1281-1307, DOI: 10.1080/09500690601140019
Lombrozo, T., Thanukos, A. & Weisberg, M. (2008). The importance of understanding the nature of science for accepting evolution. Evolution: Education and Outreach, 1(3), 290-298.
Lofstrom, E. & Pursiainen, T. (2015). Knowledge and knowing in mathematics and pedagogy: a case study of mathematics student teachers’ epistemological beliefs. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, DOI:10.1080/13540602.2014.995476
McComas, W. F. (1998). The principal elements of the nature of science: Dispelling the myths of science. In W. F. McComas (Ed.) The nature of science in science education: Rationales and strategies. (pp. 53-70). Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Meyers, M.A. (2007). Happy Accidents: Serendipity in Modern Medical Breakthroughs, Arcade Publishing, New York, NY.
Ministry of Education. (1990). Programa de articulacio´n. Caracas. Programa de Articulacio´n. Venezuela: Author.
National Center for Educational Research and Development. (1997). Manahej al-ta’alim al-a’am wa ahdafaha [Public educational curricula and goals]. Beirut, Lebanon: Author.
National Research Council (1996). National science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academic Press.
Ozkal, K. (2007). Scientific epistemological beliefs, perceptions of constructivist learning environment and attitude towards science as determinants of students approaches to learning. Master Thesis, Middle East Technical University, Ankara.
Pajares, F. (1996). Self-efficacy beliefs in academic settings. Review of Educational Research, 66, 543–578.
Perry, W. G., Jr. (1968). Patterns of development in thought and values of students in a liberal Arts college: A validation of a scheme (Contract No. SAE-8973). Cambridge, MA: Harvard University, Bureau of Study Counsel. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No.ED 024 315).
Schommer, M. (1990). Effects of beliefs about the nature of knowledge on comprehension. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82(3), 498-504.
Schommer, M. (1994). Synthesizing epistemological belief research: Tentative understandings and provocative confusions, Educational Psychology Review, 6(4), 293-319.
Schommer-Aikins, M. (2002). An evolving theoretical framework for an epistemological belief system. In B. Hofer & P. Pintrich (Eds.), Personal epistemology: The psychology of belief about knowledge and knowing, (pp. 103- 118), Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Schommer-Aikins, M. (2004). Explaining the epistemological belief system: Introducing the embedded systemic model and coordinated research approach. Educational Psychologist, 39, 19–29.
Schommer-Aikins, M., Duell, O. K., & Hutter, R. (2005). Epistemological beliefs, mathematical problem–solving beliefs, and academic performance of middle school students. The Elementary School Journal, 105(3), 289-304.
Sharma, S. (1996). Applied multivariate techniques. NewYork: John Wiley.
Sivak, M., Soler, J. & Trankle, U. (1989). Cross-cultural differences in driver self-assessment, Accident Analysis & Prevention, 21(4), 371-375.
Song, J. & Kim, K. S. (1999). How Korean students see scientists: the images of the scientist. International Journal of Science Education, 21(9), 957–977.
Southerland, S. & Sinatra, G. (2003). Learning about biological evolution: A special case of intentional conceptual change. In: G. Sinatra & P. R. Pintrich (Eds.), Intentional conceptual change (pp. 317– 348). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Sunger, M. (2007). An analysis of efficacy beliefs, epistemological beliefs and attitudes towards science in preservice elementary science teachers and secondary science teachers. (Unpublished master’s thesis). Middle East Technical University, Ankara.Turkey.
Sutherland, D. & Dennick, R. (2002) Exploring culture, language and the perception of the nature of science, International Journal of Science Education, 24(1), 1-25.
Tavsancil, E. (2002). Tutumlarin Olculmesi ve SPSS ile Veri Analizi [Measurement of attitudes and data analysis with SPSS]. Ankara: Nobel Yayinlari.
Topcu, M.S. & Yilmaz-Tuzun, O. (2008). Relationships among preservice science teachers’ epistemological beliefs, epistemological world views, and self-efficacy beliefs, International Journal of Science Education, 30(1), 65- 85.
Topcu, M.S. & Yilmaz-Tuzun, O. (2009). Elementary students’ metacognition and epistemological beliefs considering science achievement, gender and socioeconomic status, Elementary Education Online, 8(3), 676-693.
Tsai, C-C. (2002) Nested epistemologies: Science teachers' beliefs of teaching, learning and science, International Journal of Science Education, 24(8), 771-783, DOI: 10.1080/09500690110049132
Unal Coban, G., Ates,O., & Kaya Sengoren, S. (2011). Epistemological views of prospective physics teachers, International Online Journal of Educational Sciences, 3(3), 1224–1258.
Viholainen, A., Asikainen, M., & Hirvonen, P.E., (2014). Mathematics student teachers’ epistemological beliefs about the nature of mathematics and the goals of mathematics teaching and learning in the beginning of their studies, Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 10(2), 159-171.
Vries, S., Grift, W., & Jansen E., (2014). How teachers’ beliefs about learning and teaching relate to their continuing professional development, Teachers and Teaching: theory and practice, 20(3), 338-357.
Walker, S., Brownlee, J., Whiteford, C., Cobb-Moore, C., Johansson, E., Ailwood, J. & G. Boulton-Lewis, G. (2012). Early year’s teachers’ epistemic beliefs and beliefs about children’s moral learning, Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice 18(2), 263-275

How to cite this article

APA

Koseoglu, P., & Köksal, M. S. (2015). Epistemological Predictors of Prospective Biology Teachers’ Nature of Science Understandings. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 11(4), 751-763. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2015.1383a

Vancouver

Koseoglu P, Köksal MS. Epistemological Predictors of Prospective Biology Teachers’ Nature of Science Understandings. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2015;11(4):751-63. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2015.1383a

AMA

Koseoglu P, Köksal MS. Epistemological Predictors of Prospective Biology Teachers’ Nature of Science Understandings. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2015;11(4), 751-763. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2015.1383a

Chicago

Koseoglu, Pınar, and Mustafa Serdar Köksal. "Epistemological Predictors of Prospective Biology Teachers’ Nature of Science Understandings". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2015 11 no. 4 (2015): 751-763. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2015.1383a

Harvard

Koseoglu, P., and Köksal, M. S. (2015). Epistemological Predictors of Prospective Biology Teachers’ Nature of Science Understandings. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 11(4), pp. 751-763. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2015.1383a

MLA

Koseoglu, Pınar et al. "Epistemological Predictors of Prospective Biology Teachers’ Nature of Science Understandings". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 11, no. 4, 2015, pp. 751-763. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2015.1383a