Philosophy of science and school science teaching

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Abstract
The relation between philosophy of science, scientific research methods and the methods of school science teaching is examined. This relation is described in the light of the traditional ‘Standard Philosophy of Science’: scientists as compiling truths, guided by philosophies of science, scientific research as cumulative and science teachers passing over these cumulated truths to the next generation. Implications of the ‘New Philosophy of Science’ for the school science teaching are elaborated. An historically informed concept of scientific development is regarded as a necessary condition for a practice of school science teaching leading to knowledge and understanding. Attending to the New Philosophy of Science in fact is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for reaching this aim. Beside all epistemological and historical quarrels, school science teaching is in its centre a process of education. Therefore, the sociological, psychological and pedagogical dimensions of scientific knowledge have also to be considered important conditions for developing educative science teaching in schools.

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