Science education and philosophy of science: congruence or contradiction?

Abstract

In this paper, we examine the goals and methods of science education from the standpoint of recent trends in the philosophy of science. Specifically, we consider the implications for science curricula and instruction of new perspectives on scientific knowledge, on the nature of evidence, and on how knowledge changes. We argue that much of science education remains mired in outmoded positivist assumptions, and suggest specific ways in which science instruction can promote a more appropriate epistemological attitude and provide a more accurate sense of the scientific enterprise.