Abstract

This is a study of how a teacher's understanding of the nature of science (NOS) correlates to student understanding of the nature of science. Participants are in semester long seventh grade science classes in a suburban school district. Seven strands of the nature of science were identified in the literature. Four strands were analyzed in this study. Teachers were ranked according to their understanding of the nature of science and compared to their corresponding students' average gain. There was no definitive pattern between the teacher's and corresponding students' gain. When broken down by strand, there still was no definitive pattern between teacher's rank and their students' average gain. Teaching experience varied and provided significant differences between experience groups. Two student ethnic groups produced significant negative overall gains. Only two student ethnic groups showed positive overall gains; however, they were insignificant. Students who reported to enjoy science showed a higher understanding of NOS than those who reported to not enjoy science.

Degree

College and Department

Life Sciences; Biology

Rights

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