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Teaching the nature of science through scientific errors
Author(s) -
Allchin Douglas
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
science education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.209
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1098-237X
pISSN - 0036-8326
DOI - 10.1002/sce.21019
Subject(s) - scientific literacy , science education , schema (genetic algorithms) , nature of science , mathematics education , philosophy of science , context (archaeology) , literacy , computer science , epistemology , psychology , pedagogy , paleontology , philosophy , machine learning , biology
Error in science is a prime occasion to teach the nature of science, especially the central feature of tentativeness. Error types also reflect corresponding methodologies of science, critical for practicing science and (in a context of scientific literacy) analyzing its claims. Effective efforts in teaching about error will ideally be informed by earlier educational perspectives and a schema for inventorying and organizing error types. Approaches using student‐directed inquiry have limits, whereas guided‐inquiry historical case studies seem appropriate vehicles. On a larger scale, one may also envision a prospective learning progression on successively deeper understandings of error in science. Sample case studies and opportunities for further reading are identified. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 96: 904–926, 2012