Conceptions about the Nature of Science presented by undergraduate students from teachers-forming courses in Federal University of Rio de Janeiro: a case study.

• Main Authors: L. S. Ramos, D. Lannes, A. T. Da Poian
• Format: Article
• Language: Portuguese
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, SBBq 2010-05-01
• Series: Journal of Biochemistry Education
• Subjects: Nature of Science and Science Education.
• Online Access: http://bioquimica.org.br/revista/ojs/index.php/REB/article/view/221

Science stands out in the world with their discoveries, promises, ambitions and progress that all the time invades our lives, affects choices, directs and influences our behaviors. Because of its importance in the world scenario, is remarkable that science education initiatives are essential to construct more critical, fair and active subjects participating in scientific decisions. In this report we present the results of a research about of the conception of the Nature of Science presented by undergraduate students from different fields related to science, as Biology, Chemistry, Social Sciences and Mathematics. The results show that students of natural and social sciences have a high degree of agreement for a positivist conception of science, where science is close to the truth through a steady increase in knowledge, in a linear process. However, it is also possible to observe a high degree of agreement in a conception that suggests that science is influenced by external factors, encompassing historical, philosophical and cultural dimensions. The analysis of the current literature has shown that the ideas that teachers have about the Nature of Sciences influence their pedagogical practicedaily.