A Realist Approach to Science Education
Based on Michael Polanyi's Scientific Realism
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21392914 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Phil Seok Oh (0000-0001-9385-9428, Department of Science Education Gyeongin National University of Education Anyang Gyeonggi‐do Republic of Korea, corresponding author), Heesoo Ha (0000-0002-4523-3946, Department of Biology Education, College of Education Pusan National University Busan Republic of Korea) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 110 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 1063-1078 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Science Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0036-8326 • E-ISSN: 1098-237X |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/sce.70061 |
| OpenAlex | W7134218824 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 92 |
Science education is undergoing a period of transition that includes, among many others, the themes of the practice turn, post‐truth, and post‐human. Given these, in this paper, we propose adopting Michael Polanyi's scientific realism as a stance for K‐12 science education. Although realism is an important topic in the philosophy of science, its influence on other related disciplines is limited. Especially, the field of science education has somehow eschewed the reality issue. However, Polanyi's scientific realism, which incorporates both ontological and epistemological dimensions of realism, offers valuable implications for enriching science education. In this theoretical paper, we first present three themes and reasons for considering scientific realism, particularly Polanyi's scientific realism, as a stance for K‐12 science education: it provides insights for current science education reform, for educational responses to post‐truth challenges, and for post‐human science education. We then explore Polanyi's original concept of reality and the properties of reality based on the notion of the indeterminate future manifestations (IFM) effect. We also examine the necessary conditions for pursuing reality—personal commitment and intellectual passions––and the ways of making contact with reality—tacit knowing, indwelling, and embodiment. Finally, we suggest implications of Polanyi's scientific realism for K‐12 science education in relation to the three themes and reasons presented earlier and propose directions for future research in science education
Critical realism (philosophy of perception) · Field (mathematics) · Nature of Science · Philosophy of science · Realism · Relation (database) · Science education · Scientific realism · Digital Education and Society · Educational Theory and Curriculum Studies · Science Education and Pedagogy
Coherence in Thought and Action
Realism for Realistic People
Tacit Knowing
The Logic of Tacit Inference
Epistemologies in practice
A review of educational responses to the “post-truth” condition
Storyline Units
The Natural Ontological Attitude
Representing and Intervening
Embodying science
Scientific realism and quantum theory
Contact with Reality
Non-Human Agencies
Science, Faith and Society
Towards Scientific Literacy
What is it like to be a geologist? A phenomenology of geology and its epistemological implications
Perspectivism, inconsistent models, and contrastive explanation
In defence of story-telling
Resolving Debates about Scientific Realism
Sensemaking as a goal of science education, abduction as a process of scientific sensemaking
Problem Solving
Science and Reality
Hot-Blooded Gluttons
Effective Strategies for Learning and Teaching in Times of Science Denial and Disinformation
Science literacy in the twenty-first century
Post-Truth and the Epistemological Crisis
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |