Students' adherences to epistemic understanding in evaluating scientific claims

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21392671
AutoresJessica Shuk Ching Leung (0000-0002-6299-8158, Faculty of Education The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong, autor de correspondencia)
Año2020
Volumen104
Número2
Páginas164-192
Fecha de publicación2020-03-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaScience Education (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0036-8326 • E-ISSN: 1098-237X
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/sce.21563
OpenAlexW3000314769
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas8
Referencias citadas52

Epistemic understanding of science is essential for critical evaluation of scientific claims. In principle, developing students' epistemic understanding would enhance students' capability in evaluating scientific claims. However, findings on this “expected” connection have been inconclusive. This paper seeks to examine this discrepancy between epistemic understanding in theory, and the practical application of this understanding. It uses the concept of adherence from the literature on conceptual change when accounting for this discrepancy. Questionnaires were used to examine adherences to epistemic understanding in evaluating health‐related claims by 42 college‐level nonscience majors. Follow‐up interviews were conducted to explain their adherences to epistemic understanding during their evaluation. The analysis revealed that: (a) Students tended to adhere to process of inquiry much stronger than the nature of scientific knowledge and the social context of science. (b) Students' low adherence to the nature of scientific findings and generation process was found to relate to an interplay among various epistemic aspects of science. (c) Students demonstrated low adherence in practicing epistemic understanding due to difference in contexts between giving declarative statements about science and using epistemic understanding to evaluate scientific claims. These findings have theoretical implications on the discrepancy between theory and practice in relation to the role of epistemic understanding of science, and on what constitutes informed epistemic understanding. They also have practical implications in terms of enhancing students' adherences to epistemic understanding in evaluating scientific claims

Context (archaeology) · Epistemology · Mathematics education · Nature of Science · Philosophy of science · Process (computing) · Science education · Sociology · Sociology of scientific knowledge · Computer Science · Education and Critical Thinking Development · Educational Strategies and Epistemologies · Philosophy · Psychology · Science Education and Pedagogy