Influence of a Reflective Explicit Activity-based Approach on Students' Understandings of the Nature of Science and Science Attitudes

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of teaching the essential elements of the nature of science (NOS) in the context of scientific inquiry. A total of nine NOS activities were used to promote students' (N=17, 12 males, 5 females) understandings of NOS and attitudes toward science. One group pretest-posttest pre-experimental design was employed in the study. Data were analyzed by using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results of study showed that students' pre and post mean scores of understandings of NOS were significantly different. There was a moderate positive correlation between the post mean scores of students' understandings of NOS and their attitudes toward science.