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Access Type

WSU Access

Date of Award

January 2022

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ed.D.

Department

Curriculum and Instruction

First Advisor

Jazlin Ebenezer

Abstract

The study consisted of three articles. Article one aimed to determine if there were any significant difference in science graduate students' (SGSs') conceptions of the "consensus tenets" of the nature of science (NOS) with respect to demographic factors – the SGSs' academic and research characteristics. The participants were SGSs from biology, chemistry, geology/environmental science, and physics departments in a mid-western urban university. The first article constituted a NOS instrument of six sections, each with a Likert scale of four statements aligned with the consensus tenets to probe SGSs' conceptions of the NOS. Responses to an open-ended question in each section of the NOS instrument clarified or elucidated their Likert choices. The study used a Kruskal-Wallis test to determine if there were significant differences between SGSs' conceptions of the NOS with respect to their demographics. The Mann-Whitney U was used post hoc to assess the strength of any significant differences. Because only 21 students participated, the study clustered the demographics into categories to provide the minimum sample size for the statistical analysis. A few demographic categories showed any relationship to the SUSSI score levels. Among those was the Chemistry-Physics cluster, which overall scored higher on the SUSSI than the Biology cluster (p=0.020). The Chemistry-Physics cluster also scored higher than Biology on two sections of the SUSSI, section SUSSI 2, social and cultural influences on scientific research (p=0.048), and section SUSSI 5, the use of creativity and imagination in scientific research (p-0.018). Since the overall sample size of the study population was small, no generalizations were possible about the relationship of any demographic categories to the level of the SGSs' NOS understandings. Article two aimed to categorize and describe the SGSs' conceptions of the nature of science. Thirteen to 15 students completed all or most of the open-ended response portion of a NOS instrument consisting of six sections, equivalent to the consensus tenets of NOS. Students clarified, expounded on, and provided examples based on their Likert-scale responses. Students' responses varied, from brief phrases to several paragraphs of deep, nuanced thought supported by examples. These responses constituted a phenomenography with frequencies and percentages for each consensus tenet. Frequencies for some NOS tenets may exceed one if students’ statements were placed in more than one category. NOS Tenet 1: Differences in observations and inferences reveals (n=13) four categories of conceptions: Individual differences (n=6; 0.46), Scientific lens (n=3; 0.23), A priori bias (n=3; 0.23), and human error (n=1; 0.07). NOS Tenet 2: The effect of society and culture on scientific research reveals (n=15) five categories: Public interest, needs, and funding (n=6; 0.40), cultural institutions--governments and religion (n=5; 0.33); academic (n=4; 0.27) and corporate cultures (n=2; 0.13), and no effect (n=1; 0.07). NOS Tenet 3: Change in scientific theories (n=15) revealed four categories of description: New information and evidence (n=8; 0.53), new technology (n=4; 0.27), critical reviews n=(2; 0.13), and new models (n=1; 0.07). NOS Tenet 4: The relationship between scientific theories and laws (n=13) revealed four descriptive categories: Theory becomes law (n=5; 0.38), theory explains law (n=3; 0.23), theory and law differ (n=3; 0.23), and theory constitutes less evidence (n=2; 0.15). NOS Tenet 5: The role of creativity and imagination in scientific research (n=14) revealed two descriptive categories: Integral to research (n=13; 0.93) and inapplicable to some research (n=4; 0.29). NOS Tenet 6: Scientists' adherence to the scientific method (n=12) revealed three descriptive categories: A guideline (n=6; 050), inapplicable for all research (n=4; 0.33), and applicable for all research (n=2; 0.17). The SGSs demonstrated a complex understanding of NOS closely tied to their lived experiences with science, particularly their research. Implications apply to research, SGS education, undergraduate science education, and university policy and practice. The study points to phenomenography as a way to develop descriptive categories from the open-ended questions in SUSSI, a quantitative instrument. Future researchers may use this research as a springboard to conduct individual interview studies with SGSs whose conceptions involve in-depth exploration through dialogue between a researcher and student. The descriptive categories can serve as the curriculum frameworks in graduate and undergraduate science education, as some phenomenographers advocate and practice in secondary science education. This research speaks to the science faculty so departments can take steps to nurture graduate students through coursework in NOS and research experience because often, they become teaching assistants to undergraduates who might eventually become scientists and science teachers. The science departments should support graduate student research by upholding NOS and should not ignore NOS in their teaching responsibilities. The study promises engaging postsecondary students in research experience throughout their university years can improve their understanding of NOS. This study suggests that the university policy and practice grant time and funding for faculty and graduate students engage in NOS professional development and additional growth opportunities. If improved NOS understanding is indeed an educational and societal goal, investment in support measures is critical to that success. Article three aimed to narrate stories of SGSs' lived experiences in science using hermeneutic phenomenology as a methodology. Stories were developed by interpreting verbatim transcripts of in-depth individual interview data from four SGSs in an urban mid-western research university. The interpretation and representation of stories underpin the philosophical principles of hermeneutic phenomenological literature. Harper's spotlight sheds rays on 11 science spaces in his scientific story, which unfolds with evidentiary support. On Science Connection, Harper's work in genetics gives him a specific scientific lens through which he views scientific research, that is, seeing the world through a scientific lens. Harper's Science Orientation points to the following: people lacking meaning for "science," placing problem-solving at the root of science, explaining science is an evolving process – always moving forward, connecting science to everything, critiquing the culture of research science involves ethics and trust, and comparing science to other fields depends on what counts as endpoints. Science Education, for Harper, is learning from mistakes is noble, defining educator responsibility, and using a project-based learning assessment. Ellis' spotlight sheds rays on ten science spaces as her scientific story unfolds with evidentiary support. Concerning Science Connection, Ellis is finding one's place in science. Ellis is looking through a geology lens concerning Science Orientation, which is as follows: seeing the bigger picture, comparing science and engineering perspectives, understanding uncertainty in science is typical, valuing quantitative and qualitative data, validating a new technique gives credibility and transportability, fostering trust – replicating and agreeing is crucial within science, and playing by the rules of science. To Ellis, Science Education is living in the science circle, which involves answering questions. Sydney's spotlight sheds rays on ten science spaces. Considering Science Connection, Sydney connects his perceptions of science to the change in his career focus and his subsequent research experience at the undergraduate level inspired by his biology professor. Sydney's science orientation points to the following aspects: driving science grounds curiosity and interest, investigating science using research questions and methods, updating science with new data, finding patterns that determine different scientific perspectives, valuing no or negative scientific results, staying motivated in research, and returning to the science "drawing board," and making decisions using science as valuable. Sydney's passion for Science Education is getting excited and sharing science with his students. Avery's spotlight sheds rays on eight science spaces as her scientific story unfolds with evidentiary support. Concerning Science Connection, Avery used scientific data for answering the known in industry regulatory work. Avery's switch to graduate school enables searching for the unknown in academic ecology fieldwork. Avery's science orientation points to the following notions: Seeing the world differently, digging deep, and seeing what one expects to see. Science Education, according to Avery, is profiling dispositions and motivations in science, describing science to students and answering questions and explaining research parameters as scientific, and relating science and society. The third article spotlights SGSs' sensibilities of science and their implications for course development on the nature of science to graduate students and policy mandates. The study also argues that crafted stories are an acceptable and trustworthy methodological device that offers alternative possibilities to conventional ways of seeing qualitative data. The stories provide glimpses of graduate students' scientific development phenomenon that other forms of data analysis and presentation may leave latent.

Keywords: conceptions; demographics; hermeneutics; interpretive methods; interview data; Likert scales; lived experiences; nature of science; nature of science tenets; phenomenography; phenomenology; science research; science disciplines; SGSs; stories; qualitative; quantitative; urban

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