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Investigation of worldview theory in a south african context
Author(s) -
Lawrenz Frances,
Gray Brian
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of research in science teaching
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.067
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1098-2736
pISSN - 0022-4308
DOI - 10.1002/tea.3660320604
Subject(s) - psychology , authoritarianism , exploratory research , science education , context (archaeology) , nature of science , pedagogy , scientific misconceptions , epistemology , mathematics education , social psychology , sociology , social science , politics , paleontology , philosophy , political science , law , democracy , biology
This article reports on an exploratory investigation carried out to identify conceptions of some components of worldview, based on logicostructural worldview theory, held by science student teachers in a South African context. It explores relationships among worldviews, student characteristics, and scientific concepts. The sample included 48 final‐year science student teachers. Data were gathered by a questionnaire with follow‐up interviews. Questions were based on Kearney's model of worldview with stimulus items related to each of seven worldview categories. Responses were categorized and examined for possible relationships. Results of the investigation indicated that students' conceptions of time and distance were nonmechanistic and psychologically bound and that authoritarian scientific explanation was considered as sufficient for proof. Some significant relationships were found between items as well as between field of study and scientific conceptions.