Innovating Science Teacher Education: A History and Philosophy of Science Perspective

Niaz (chemistry, U. de Oriente, Cuman獺, Venezuela) provides an overview of the contemporary history and philosophy of science and its implications for science teacher education, as he argues that explaining how science actually works should be an essential part of the science curriculum. He contends that the problem to be researched should determine the methodology used; that a historical reconstruction of a scientific theory can determine the different sources of its development; and that discussion of the historical reconstructions based on interactions among classroom teachers can facilitate new teaching strategies. He reviews the dynamics of scientific progress and explains innovative teaching strategies based on classroom practice, focusing on aspects of history and philosophy of science and how they can be incorporated in the classroom, such as the nature of science, conceptual change, constructivism, qualitative-quantitative research, and the role of controversies, presuppositions, speculations, hypotheses, and predictions. Annotation 穢2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)