Understanding the Nature of Science (NOS): Insights from Pre-Service Teachers’ Engagement with Scientific Biographies

Abstract

The comprehension of the nature of science (NOS) is increasingly recognised as a crucial element of science education, and many countries have incorporated NOS-related elements into their national curricula. This development underscores the need to adequately prepare teachers to possess a thorough understanding of the fundamental principles of NOS. This article explores pre-service teachers’ understanding of NOS when engaging with scientific biography. Using biographies is proposed as a pedagogical strategy for embedding NOS within the curriculum. Grounded in the consensus view of NOS, this study evaluates students’ conceptualisations by analysing interviews and student presentations of the scientists’ life stories. The findings reveal variations in the students’ awareness concerning general aspects of NOS. Some pre-service teachers demonstrate a more profound understanding of science, recognising its tentativeness, social dependence, and the influence of human factors. However, most students associate science and the generation of new knowledge primarily with the procedural aspects of experimental protocol writing. These findings suggest that biographical tasks may serve as an effective means of enhancing pre-service teachers’ understanding of NOS, thereby suggesting the value of integrating such approaches into teacher education programmes.