On the Epistemic Value of Students' Conceptions in Science Education

Autor/in	Sánchez Gómez, Pedro J.
Titel	On the Epistemic Value of Students' Conceptions in Science Education
Quelle	In: Science & Education, 30 (2021) 4, S.827-847 (21 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0926-7220
DOI	10.1007/s11191-021-00211-4
Schlagwörter	Student Attitudes; Scientific Attitudes; Science Education; Epistemology; Semantics; Stereotypes; Logical Thinking + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Schülerverhalten; Naturwissenschaftliche Bildung; Erkenntnistheorie; Semantik; Klischee
Abstract	In this article, I present an analysis of the epistemic value of the students' conceptions, as employed in the current constructivist research. I focus on the conceptions about natural kinds. Since natural kind terms are a crucial part of the discourse of the natural sciences, my conclusions are particularly relevant in science education. To perform my analysis, I use a thought experiment, adapted from Hilary Putnam's famous Twin-Earth examples. I conclude that, to avoid some strong ontoepistemic implications, an externalist view of the learner's thought must be adopted. In my approach, students' conceptions are re-interpreted in terms of Hilary Putnam's stereotypes, conventional representations of a natural kind that guarantee a semantic competence in a specific linguistic environment. As a conclusion, I argue that the role of students' conceptions is not epistemic but pragmatic. They should not be understood as a partial or provisional representation of how a natural kind really is but as linguistic tools that permit the learner to engage in classroom discourse. Finally, I present a preliminary application of my ideas to the study of the usage of tautologies in science education. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01