It would be difficult to support any claim that problem solving is not an important goal in the

teaching of science.

Scientists by their very nature are problem solvers.

Rather, we contest the viewpoint that problem solving is the most important

goal in the teaching of science.

Science is a multi-faceted discipline.

There are many ways to “do” science.”

There are many ways to learn science.

““there simply is no fixed set of there simply is no fixed set of steps that scientists always steps that scientists always

follow, no one path that leads follow, no one path that leads them unerringly to scientific them unerringly to scientific

knowledge”knowledge”

((Rutherford & Ahlgren, 1990, The Nature of Science)Rutherford & Ahlgren, 1990, The Nature of Science)

If this axiom is accepted throughout If this axiom is accepted throughout the scientific community, it should be the scientific community, it should be

embraced by science educationembraced by science education..

The viewpoint that problem solving is The viewpoint that problem solving is the most important goal in teaching the most important goal in teaching

science seems to contradict this science seems to contradict this statementstatement

““Learning to view the Learning to view the world scientifically world scientifically means…means…

(North Carolina State Dept., 2003, Understanding the nature of science )

•to seek explanations

•to ask questions about nature

•make observations

•discuss findings with others

•organize information

•collect and measure things

Experiences for school students in their guided study Experiences for school students in their guided study of science should includeof science should include experiences which experiences which promote process skills, promote process skills, such assuch as measuring, measuring, observing, classifying and predicting. observing, classifying and predicting. These skills These skills are critical for the development of aare critical for the development of a worthwhile and worthwhile and fruitful understating fruitful understating by studentsby students of scientific of scientific concepts and propositions. concepts and propositions. These experiences are These experiences are also critical foralso critical for achieving expertise achieving expertise in thein the meaningful use of meaningful use of scientific proceduresscientific procedures,, for for problem problem solvingsolving and for to and for to applying scientific understanding applying scientific understanding ones own life.ones own life.

(Ango, 2002, p.12)(Ango, 2002, p.12)

Sooner or later, the validity of Sooner or later, the validity of scientific claims is settled by scientific claims is settled by referring to observations of referring to observations of

phenomena.phenomena. Hence, scientists Hence, scientists concentrate on getting accurate concentrate on getting accurate

data.data.

(Rutherford and Ahlgren, 1990, Nature of Science).(Rutherford and Ahlgren, 1990, Nature of Science).

Such evidence is obtained by Such evidence is obtained by observations and measurementsobservations and measurements taken in situations that range from taken in situations that range from

natural settings (such as a forest) to natural settings (such as a forest) to completely contrived ones (such as completely contrived ones (such as

the laboratory).the laboratory).

(Rutherford and Ahlgren, 1990, Nature of Science).(Rutherford and Ahlgren, 1990, Nature of Science).

The preceding arguments The preceding arguments underscore the importance of underscore the importance of

a strong foundation of a strong foundation of scientific knowledge in order scientific knowledge in order

to pursue higher levels of to pursue higher levels of learninglearning

Scientists need to be Scientists need to be communicators of knowledge. communicators of knowledge.

•communication is a critical aspect of scientific investigation

• without it, scientific investigation would be pointless

(Ango, 2002, p.17)

developing meaningful developing meaningful explanation could be explanation could be considered considered the core the core

enterpriseenterprise of both of both scientific scientific endeavorendeavor as well as personal as well as personal

learning in sciencelearning in science” ” (Heywood, 2002, p.234).(Heywood, 2002, p.234).

““because of the social nature of because of the social nature of science, the science, the dissemination of dissemination of

scientific informationscientific information is crucial is crucial to its progress” to its progress”

(Rutherford and Ahlgren, 1990, Nature of Science).(Rutherford and Ahlgren, 1990, Nature of Science).

What sort of science education What sort of science education should we have and what should should we have and what should

its goals be? its goals be?

What do I teach in my science What do I teach in my science lesson today and how should I lesson today and how should I

teach it?teach it?

(Longbottom and Butler, 1999, p.486)(Longbottom and Butler, 1999, p.486)

Important Questions to Consider…

specialist secondary science specialist secondary science teachers would probably describe teachers would probably describe

their main task as helping their main task as helping students to learn new ideas and students to learn new ideas and explanations regarding natural explanations regarding natural

phenomena phenomena (Bryce & MacMillan, 2005, p.739)(Bryce & MacMillan, 2005, p.739)

children should…children should…

1. understand that scientists are successful in developing understanding the world even though they do not have a fail-safe method, but that science is fallible

2. acknowledge scientific knowledge as the best we have, and therefore accept that it is rational to trust in expert knowledge (thus limiting skepticism to a justified level)

3. adopt many of the critical and creative attributes of scientists (giving students the skills to take seek and evaluate evidence and to take part in reasoned debate)

(Longbottom and Butler, 1999, pp.486-487)

a most compelling statement: a most compelling statement:

because because science educationscience education is likely to is likely to be in be in competition with manifold competition with manifold

unscientific and antiscientific forcesunscientific and antiscientific forces in both formal and informal education, in both formal and informal education, the the onus is on science educatorsonus is on science educators to to teach in a mannerteach in a manner that that captures the captures the

imaginationimagination and reveals both the and reveals both the fascination of the knownfascination of the known and the and the

challenge of the unknownchallenge of the unknown

(Longbottom, & Butler, 1999, p.473)(Longbottom, & Butler, 1999, p.473)

From the NSTA From the NSTA

an important characteristic—and an important characteristic—and shortcoming—of Generation 2 shortcoming—of Generation 2

(scientific inquiry)(scientific inquiry) materials is that materials is that they do not explicitly provide they do not explicitly provide

instruction that will help students instruction that will help students learn about scientific inquiry itselflearn about scientific inquiry itself

(Teaching Science in the 21st Century, 2006)(Teaching Science in the 21st Century, 2006)

an implicit and incorrect an implicit and incorrect assumption exists that assumption exists that doing inquiry results in doing inquiry results in learning about inquirylearning about inquiry

(Teaching Science in the 21st Century, 2006)(Teaching Science in the 21st Century, 2006)

If If doing inquiry does not doing inquiry does not necessarilynecessarily result in result in learning about inquirylearning about inquiry… … then it seems then it seems reasonable to reasonable to considerconsider that… that…doing problem solvingdoing problem solving may may not result in learning not result in learning about problem solvingabout problem solving

-Not the most important goal in science -Not the most important goal in science education. education. -Does not fully address the range of -Does not fully address the range of required process skills, the common required process skills, the common knowledge base, and the communication knowledge base, and the communication that must go on in sciencethat must go on in science-It is one of many important goals in -It is one of many important goals in science education, but it cannot address science education, but it cannot address all of the aspects of the nature of science.all of the aspects of the nature of science.

Problem solving: