Let them research with
Using history of science to teach upper-secondary chemistry students about the nature of science
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21585528 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Madelene Losvik Berntsen (Norwegian University of Science and Technology), Camilla Berge Vik (Norwegian University of Science and Technology, corresponding author), Annette Lykknes (0000-0002-1932-7754, Norwegian University of Science and Technology) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 1497-1513 |
| Publication date | 2023-10-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Science & Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0926-7220 • E-ISSN: 1573-1901 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s11191-023-00426-7 |
| OpenAlex | W4324046898 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 47 |
The French natural philosopher Henri Victor Regnault (1810–1878) was one of many researchers who contributed to the development of the thermometer in the 19th century. In this paper, we use an example from Regnault’s work to explore how the history of thermometry can provide a context for teaching upper-secondary chemistry students about the nature of science (NOS), particularly its aims and values. The study takes form as a hermeneutical spiral, wherein literature on the history and philosophy of science, NOS, the family resemblance approach (FRA), NOS teaching, characteristics of narratives, and the new performative paradigm feed into the spiral, along with input from an empirical study. A teaching unit (n = 21, duration = 90 min) was developed and tested on Norwegian students aged 17–18 years, and a thematic analysis of students’ statements (n = 13) was carried out. The students identified “being first,” “usefulness,” “accuracy,” and “minimalism” as values and aims that guided Regnault’s work. We argue that the use of this particular historical episode framed within FRA (1) invited students to identify with the human actor—Regnault, (2) invited students into the historical context of the development of the thermometer, and (3) demonstrated complexity and provided context to support students’ own construction of their understanding of NOS. To summarize, by deriving the term “research with ” from the performative paradigm and using the context of the historical episode related to the thermometer within the FRA framework students were invited to research with Henri Regnault
Art · Epistemology · Linguistics · Literature · Narrative · Norwegian · Pedagogy · Performative utterance · Sociology · Thermometer · History · History of Science and Natural History · Philosophy · Philosophy and History of Science · Science Education and Pedagogy
Inventing Temperature
Is Water H2O?
Reconceptualizing the Nature of Science for Science Education
Changing the Focus
Contributions of the Family Resemblance Approach to Nature of Science in Science Education
Thematic Analysis
New Directions for Nature of Science Research
Improving science teachers' conceptions of nature of science
Humanising the nature of science
Revisiting the Foundations of the Family Resemblance Approach to Nature of Science
Reintroducing “the” Scientific Method to Introduce Scientific Inquiry in Schools
Rosalind Franklin and the Discovery of the Structure of DNA
Nature of Science and Nature of Scientists
A Systematic Review of Research on Family Resemblance Approach to Nature of Science in Science Education
On Beyond Constructivism
Affordances of narrative and numerical data
Posthumanist Performativity
Beyond the Consensus View
The Value of Completeness
Hermeneutics and science education
A Family Resemblance Approach to the Nature of Science for Science Education
A performative paradigm for post-qualitative inquiry
| Citations per year | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Highly cited | No |