Defining science quick check
Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards: A Guide for Teaching and Learning (2000)
layer of sand below the soil — unlike any of the dark, clay-rich soil above and below the sand. “Where did the white sand come from?” he wondered.
The geologist knew that subduction zone earthquakes often produce tsunamis — tidal waves. He thought the sand layer could be sand washed ashore during a tsunami. If so, this would be further evidence of a major coastal earthquake. Fossils recovered from the sand layer indicated the sand came from the ocean rather than being washed down from inland, supporting the tsunami hypothesis.
He published several articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals hypothesizing that the dead trees and sand layer found along the coast were evidence that a major earthquake occurred about 300 years ago, just before European settlers arrived in the region (Atwater, 1987; Nelson et al., 1995).
Publishesexplanationbased onevidence
Several years later a Japanese seismologist, who was studying historic tide gauge records in Japan to document tsunamis from distant sources, identified a major earthquake somewhere along the
Definition of 'science'
Quotations
Art is meant to disturb. Science reassuresGeorges BraquePensées sur l'art
Science is the record of deadreligionsOscar WildePhrases and Philosophies for the Use of the Young
Science means simply the aggregate of all the recipes that are always successful. The rest is literaturePaul ValéryMoralités
Science is nothing but trained and organized common senseT.H. HuxleyBiogenesis and Abiogenesis
Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guidedmissiles and misguided menMartin Luther King
the great tragedy of Science - the slaying of a beautiful hypothesis by an ugly factT.H. HuxleyBiogenesis and Abiogenesis
the essence of science: ask an impertinentquestion, and you are on the way to a pertinentanswerJacob BronowskiThe Ascent of Man
In science the creditgoes to the man who convinces the world, not to the man to whom the idea first occursFrancis Darwin
Science is an edgedtool, with which men play like children, and cut their own fingersArthur Eddington
Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blindAlbert EinsteinScience, Philosophy and Religion
There are no such things as applied sciences, only appl
Our definition of science
Science is the pursuit and application of truth and understanding of the spontaneous and social world following a systematic methodology based on evidence.
Scientific methodology includes the following:
- Objective observation: Measurement and data (possibly although not necessarily using mathematics as a tool)
- Evidence
- Experiment and/or observation as benchmarks for testing hypotheses
- Induction: reasoning to establish general rules or conclusions drawn from facts or examples
- Repetition
- Critical analysis
- Verification and testing: critical exposure to scrutiny, peer review and assessment
Why define science?
In 2009, the Science Council agreed that it wanted to be clearer when it talked about sound science and science-based policy. The Science Council has “science” in its name but had not previously clarified what this actually meant. In addition to developing a better understanding of what types of organisations might turn into members, it was felt that the recent inclusion of the advancement of science as a charitable activity in the 2006 Charities Act suggested that in that context a definition would be useful, this was how this
Understanding Science
The following introductory activities can set the tone for the school year by presenting an accurate and engaging perspective on what science is really about. These activities involve students in aspects of science in a simple and exploratory fashion. If you have not used the Science Knowledge Survey, from the Evolution and the Nature of Science Institutes, it may be helpful to ask students to “Define” or “Describe Science” before beginning these activities. Their ideas can be written on a 3×5 card and collected to identify student perceptions about science that you hope to reinforce or change during the year. Follow with one of the activities below to introduce nature of science concepts. To make the key concepts explicit, after the activity, have a class discussion regarding the starter activity prompted by the question: Were you doing science? You may want to employ students’ definition or descriptions in this discussion.
- Mystery tubes — In this lesson, students are asked to determine what the interior construction of the mystery tube looks like. Working in groups, students pose explanations (hypotheses) for what
Introduction
This review explores the literature relating to the field of science education. Its purpose is to identify factors that can contribute to high-quality school science curriculums, assessment, pedagogy and systems. We will use this understanding of subject quality to examine how science is taught in England’s schools. We will then publish a subject report to share what we have learned.
The purpose of this research review and the intended audience is outlined more fully in the ‘Principles behind Ofsted’s research reviews and subject reports’.[footnote 1]
Since there are a variety of ways that schools can construct and teach a high-quality science curriculum, it is important to recognise that there is no singular way of achieving high-quality science education.
In this review, we have:
outlined the national context in relation to science
summarised our review of research into factors that can affect quality of education in science
considered curriculum progression in science, pedagogy, assessment and the impact of school leaders’ decisions on provision
The review draws on a range of sources, including our ‘Education inspection framework: overview of re