Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 10, Issue 1, Article 4 (June, 2009) Khajornsak BUARAPHAN & Sunun SUNG-ONG Thai pre-service science teachers' conceptions of the nature of science Contents Next

Thai pre-service science teachers' conceptions of the nature of science

 

Khajornsak BUARAPHAN^1,3 and Sunun SUNG-ONG²

¹Institute for Innovative Learning (formerly known as Institute for Innovation and Development of Learning Process)
Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, THAILAND

Email: kbuaraphan@yahoo.com

²Faculty of Education, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, THAILAND

Email: fedusns@ku.ac.th

³ Correspondence author

Received 21 Apr., 2009
Revised 14 Jun., 2009

---

Contents

• Abstract
• Introduction
• The Nature of Science
• Pre-service Science Teachers’ Conceptions of the Nature of Science
  • Scientific knowledge: Hypotheses, theories and laws
  • Scientific knowledge: Tentativeness of science
  • Scientific knowledge: Cumulative knowledge
  • Scientific knowledge: Scientific model
  • Scientific method: Universal, step-wise method
  • Scientific method: Experiment
  • Scientists’ work: Theory-laden observation and subjectivity
  • Scientists’ work: Creativity and imagination in science
  • Scientific enterprise: Social and cultural influences on science
  • Scientific Enterprise: Interaction between science and technology
• Thai pre-service science teachers' conceptions of the nature of science
• Research Question
• Methods
  • Instrument
  • Data collection
  • Data analysis
• Results
  • Pre-service science teachers’ conceptions of the NOS: Scientific knowledge
  • Pre-service science teachers’ conceptions of the NOS: Scientific method
  • Pre-service science teachers’ conceptions of the NOS: Scientists’ work
  • Pre-service science teachers’ conceptions of the NOS: Scientific enterprise
• Discussion
• Implications
• Acknowledgements
• References
• Appendix

---

Abstract

The conceptions of the nature of science (NOS), particularly scientific knowledge, scientific method, scientists’ work, and scientific enterprise, of 113 Thai pre-service science teachers were was captured by the Myths of Science Questionnaire (MOSQ) in the first semester of the 2008 academic year. The data was quantitatively and qualitatively analysed. The results revealed that nine of the fourteen MOSQ items presented two consistent response patterns. Five were informed responses (i.e., hypotheses and theories, tentativeness of science, universal step-wise scientific method, science as experimental knowledge, creativity and imagination in science and science as social enterprise), while the other four were uninformed responses (i.e., theories and laws, science as cumulative knowledge, and theory-laden observation). The highest percentage of informed, uninformed and uncertain responses regarded the tentativeness of science, science as cumulative knowledge and the ability of science to answer all questions, respectively. The implications of preparing science teachers are also discussed.

Keywords: Pre-service science teacher, nature of science, Myth of Science Questionnaire, Thailand