 |
Asia-Pacific Forum
on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 15, Issue 1, Article 1 (Jun., 2014) |
Thai and Bangladeshi science teachers' conceptions of NOS can be compared and shown as Table 2.
Table 2. Thai and Bangladeshi in-service science teachers' conceptions of NOS Item
Response
Chi-square
Sig.
Uninformed
Uncertain
Informed
Thai
(%)Bangladeshi
(%)Thai
(%)Bangladeshi
(%)Thai
(%)Bangladeshi
(%)1. Hypotheses are developed to become theories only
25.5
58.2
27.3
17.3
47.3
24.5
15.983
.000*
2. Scientific theories are less secure than laws
42.6
71.8
27.8
17.3
29.6
10.9
16.261
.001*
3.Scientific theories can be developed to become laws
79.2
68.2
17.0
19.1
3.8
12.7
7.621
.055
4. Scientific knowledge cannot be changed
3.6
32.7
3.6
14.5
92.7
52.7
26.354
.000*
5. The scientific method is a fixed step-by-step process
47.3
71.8
10.9
18.2
41.8
10.0
22.717
.000*
6. Science and the scientific method can answer all questions
42.6
35.5
35.2
22.7
22.2
41.8
8.488
.037
7. Scientific knowledge comes from experiments only
5.5
63.6
18.2
17.3
76.4
19.1
59.572
.000*
8. Accumulation of evidence makes scientific knowledge more stable
81.8
78.2
9.1
10.0
9.1
11.8
.342
.843
9. A scientific model (e.g., atomic model) expresses a copy of reality
34.5
53.6
47.3
34.5
18.2
11.8
5.423
.066
10. Scientists do not use creativity and imagination in developing scientific knowledge
7.3
49.1
10.9
18.2
81.8
32.7
37.472
.000*
11. Scientists are open-minded without any biases
85.5
62.7
10.9
15.5
3.6
21.8
10.930
.004*
12. Science and technology are identical
45.5
41.8
21.8
21.8
32.7
36.4
.251
.882
13. Scientific enterprise is an individual enterprise
3.6
67.3
1.8
20.0
94.5
12.7
102.296
.000*
14. Society, politics, and culture do not affect development of scientific knowledge
5.6
40.9
14.8
6.4
79.6
52.7
24.425
.000*
Note * represents .01 statistical significance level
Holistically, there were both similarities and differences in the NOS conceptions held by Thai and Bangladeshi science teachers. Of 14 items, there were nine that showed significant differences responses between two groups: Hypotheses are developed to become theories only (Item 1) (χ2 = 15.983, p < .01); Scientific theories are less secure than laws (Item 2) (χ2 = 16.261, p < .01); Scientific knowledge cannot be changed (Item 4) (χ2 = 26.354, p < .01); The scientific method is a fixed step-by-step process (Item 5) (χ2 = 22.717, p < .01), Scientific knowledge comes from experiments only (Item 7) (χ2 = 59.572, p < .01); Scientists do not use creativity and imagination in developing scientific knowledge (Item 10) (χ2 = 37.472, p < .01); Scientists are open-minded without any biases (Item 11) (χ2 = 10.930, p < .01); Scientific enterprise is an individual enterprise (Item 13) (χ2 = 102.296, p < .01);and Society, politics, and culture do not affect development of scientific knowledge (Item 14) (χ2 = 24.425, p < .01).
Of nine different conceptions, there were eight where a significant number of Bangladeshi science teachers had more uninformed conceptions than Thai teachers: Hypotheses are developed to become theories only (Bangladeshi 58.2%; Thai 25.5% ); Scientific theories are less secure than laws (Bangladeshi 71.8%; Thai 42.6%), Scientific knowledge cannot be changed (Bangladeshi 32.7%; Thai 3.6%); The scientific method is a fixed step-by-step process (Bangladeshi 71.8%; Thai 47.3%); Scientific knowledge comes from experiments only (Bangladeshi 63.6%; Thai 5.5%);, Scientists do not use creativity and imagination in developing scientific knowledge (Bangladeshi 49.1%; Thai 7.3%);, Scientific enterprise is an individual enterprise (Bangladeshi 67.3%; Thai 3.6%); and Society, politics, and culture do not affect development of scientific knowledge (Bangladeshi 40.9%; Thai 5.6%). Specifically, for five of these eight NOS conceptions, more than half of the Bangladeshi teachers held more misconceptions than Thai teachers: a relationship between hypotheses and theories, a relationship between theories and laws, the step-by-step, scientific method, scientific knowledge coming from experiments, and science as individual enterprise. In contrast, there was only one uninformed conception of NOS which Thai science teachers held significantly more than Bangladeshi teachers: Scientists are open-minded without any biases (Thai 85.5%; Bangladeshi 62.7%).
Interestingly, there were three remarkably differently held NOS conceptions between Thai and Bangladeshi science teachers. More than three-quarters of Thai participants had more informed conceptions than Bangladeshi participants: science as individual enterprise (Thai 94.5%; Bangladeshi 12.7%), creativity and imagination in science (Thai 81.8%; Bangladeshi 32.7% ), and scientific knowledge coming from experiments (Thai 76.4%; Bangladeshi 19.1%).
Of 14 conceptions, there were five similar conceptions of NOS shared by Thai and Bangladeshi science teachers: Scientific theories can be developed to become laws (Item 3); Science and the scientific method can answer all questions (Item 6); Accumulation of evidence makes scientific knowledge more stable (Item 8); A scientific model expresses a copy of reality (Item 9); and Science and technology are identical (Item 12). Among these conceptions, science as cumulative knowledge (Item 8) (Thai 81.8%; Bangladeshi 78.2% ) and a relationship between theories and laws (Item 3) (Thai 79.2%; Bangladeshi 68.2% ) appeared as misconceptions of NOS commonly shared by both groups.
In addition, the participants' conceptions of NOS were analyzed into four subcategories: scientific knowledge (Items 1-4, 8, & 9); scientific method (Items 5-7); scientists' work (Items 10-11); and scientific enterprise (Items 12-14). The findings are presented in Table 3.
Table 3. Thai and Bangladeshi in-service science teachers' conceptions of NOS divided into four subcategories Item
Response
Chi-square
Sig.
Uninformed
Uncertain
Informed
Thai
(%)Bangladeshi
(%)Thai
(%)Bangladeshi
(%)Thai
(%)Bangladeshi
(%)Scientific knowledge
37.33
60.45
18.89
18.79
43.78
20.76
57.373
.000*
Scientific method
31.71
57.02
21.34
20.70
46.95
22.28
47.112
.000*
Scientists' work
46.36
55.91
10.91
16.82
42.73
27.27
8.394
.015
Scientific enterprise
18.29
50.00
12.80
16.06
68.90
33.94
59.967
.000*
Note * represents .01 statistical significance level
Table 3 shows that Thai in-service science teachers held significantly more informed conceptions of NOS than Bangladeshi teachers in the scientific knowledge, scientific method, and scientific enterprise subcategories. However, there was no significant difference in NOS conceptions in the scientists' work subcategory for the teachers from both countries.
