Low public acceptance of evolution among Americans in general, and conservative Protestants specifically, has recently received increased attention among scholars of both religion and the public understanding of science. At the same time, members of another major religious tradition, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), reject evolution at rates similar to evangelical Christians, yet there remains a dearth of studies examining the lack of acceptance of evolution among Mormons. Using a nationally representative survey of Americans that contains an adequate number of LDS respondents for advanced statistical analyses, this study examines patterns of evolution acceptance or rejection among Mormons. Findings reveal a moderating relationship between political identity and education, such that educational attainment has a positive relationship with evolution acceptance among political moderates and liberals, but a negative association among political conservatives. These findings highlight the central role played by the politicization of evolution in low rates of evolution acceptance among American Mormons and emphasize the need to—where possible—examine relations between ‘science and religion’ within and across specific religious traditions.

The aim of this study is to investigate the views of preservice science teachers on science-technology-society, STS, issue. A total of 176 preservice science teachers participated in the study. A 26-item &ldquo / Views on Science-Technology-Society (VOSTS)&rdquo / instrument, translated and adapted into Turkish, were utilized to assess participants&rsquo / views on STS. The VOSTS (Aikenhead, Ryan and Fleming, 1989) is a pool of 114 empirically developed multiple-choice items with nine categories. In order to understand participants&rsquo / views on STS in depth, semi-structured interviews were also conducted by 9 volunteer preservice science teachers. The results gave a colorful picture of the views of preservice science teachers on science-technology-society issue. The analysis revealed that preservice science teachers often confuse the definitions of technology with science. Most of the participants of the study had specific views about the reasons of doing scientific researches in their country, for example, to be independent from other countries, to get financial profit. Results displayed a consensus on the possible positive effects of upbringing and the importance of education given to high school students. According to the data obtained from the present study, respondents possess varied views about the influences of society on science and technology. While preservice science teachers claiming that scientists could break the rules of science, they also claimed scientists as objective in their study. On the other hand, participants supported the view that scientists&rsquo / concern on all the effects of their experiments. Preservice science teachers advocated also that technological developments can be controlled by citizens.

Religiously conservative Americans consistently demonstrate lower scientific literacy than other Americans. Some argue, however, that Americans’ scientific literacy is contingent on subcultural conflict, showing differences in scientific literacy that emerge only on religiously contested scientific claims. Building on these insights, we find that the most salient factor explaining Americans’ divergence on contested (though not on uncontested) scientific claims is not religious commitment or conservatism per se, but an ideology that seeks political—and consequently epistemic—dominance: Christian nationalism. National data show that Christian nationalism is unassociated with Americans’ answers on questions about uncontested scientific knowledge. However, Christian nationalism is the strongest predictor of incorrect answers on questions about religiously contested scientific claims. Contemporary “culture war” debates over science have little to do with outright ignorance of science, nor are they strictly about religiosity or theological conservatism. Rather, disputes over science and religion reflect politically motivated denials of scientific facts that threaten Christian nationalism’s claims to epistemic and cultural authority.

Religiously conservative Americans consistently demonstrate lower scientific literacy than other Americans. Some argue, however, that Americans’ scientific literacy is contingent on subcultural conflict, showing differences in scientific literacy that emerge only on religiously contested scientific claims. Building on these insights, we find that the most salient factor explaining Americans’ divergence on contested (though not on uncontested) scientific claims is not religious commitment or conservatism per se, but an ideology that seeks political—and consequently epistemic—dominance: Christian nationalism. National data show that Christian nationalism is unassociated with Americans’ answers on questions about uncontested scientific knowledge. However, Christian nationalism is the strongest predictor of incorrect answers on questions about religiously contested scientific claims. Contemporary “culture war” debates over science have little to do with outright ignorance of science, nor are they strictly about religiosity or theological conservatism. Rather, disputes over science and religion reflect politically motivated denials of scientific facts that threaten Christian nationalism’s claims to epistemic and cultural authority.

Na pesquisa brasileira em educação científica, há uma lacuna no que diz respeito ao interesse e à participação das mulheres na ciência. Recentemente, a pesquisa internacional tem apontado que diferenças no processo de socialização podem produzir nos homens e nas mulheres diferentes maneiras de conhecer o mundo. O presente trabalho busca investigar algumas diferenças e semelhanças entre estudantes de graduação em Física com respeito ao gênero. A fundamentação teórico-metodológica desta pesquisa está na teoria da mediação de Vigotski e na filosofia da linguagem do círculo de Bakhtin. A pesquisa contou com a participação de 22 estudantes de graduação em Física. Foi proposto a esses estudantes que debatessem sobre um tema da Física tão bem como suas visões de ciência. O uso que os estudantes fizeram da linguagem científica permitiu responder às seguintes questões: (1) Existe algum indício de que, quando discutem um tema de Física, homens e mulheres estão propensos a pensar de maneira diferente? (2) Existe alguma diferença entre homens e mulheres quanto às visões de ciência que carregam? (3) Existe alguma tendência entre os homens de dominar a situação do debate? Os resultados de pesquisa, ao mesmo tempo em que denunciam a dominação masculina, ilustram como as mulheres podem resistir a essa dominação. Enfim, a partir dessa pesquisa é possível defender a inclusão das mulheres na ciência não somente como uma questão de justiça social, mas como a saída mais vantajosa para a própria ciência, que poderá ganhar novas epistemologias e estilos de linguagem baseados nas maneiras tipicamente femininas de conhecer. / There is a particular gap between Brazilian and international research in science education concerning women’s attitudes toward and participation in the fields of science. Recently, international research has asserted that gender differences in socialization may produce different ways of understanding the world amid men and women. This study aims to investigate some differences and similarities between Physics’ undergraduate students concerning gender. The theoretical framework that supports this inquiry is Vigotski’s theory of mediation and Bakhtin’s linguistic philosophy. This research was made on 22 Physics’ undergraduate students. It was suggested that these students had a debate on some topic in Physics as well as their views of science. Students’ use of scientific language let us respond the following questions: (1) Is there any sign that, while discussing physics, men and women are more likely to think in different ways? (2) Is there any difference between men and women concerning the views of science they support? (3) Are men more likely then women to dominate the debate? As well as stressing male domination, research results illustrate how women may resist to this domination. At last, from this research, it is possible to argue that an increase in women’s participation in the fields of science and science education may result in new epistemologies and styles of language based on women’s ways of knowing.

Na pesquisa brasileira em educação científica, há uma lacuna no que diz respeito ao interesse e à participação das mulheres na ciência. Recentemente, a pesquisa internacional tem apontado que diferenças no processo de socialização podem produzir nos homens e nas mulheres diferentes maneiras de conhecer o mundo. O presente trabalho busca investigar algumas diferenças e semelhanças entre estudantes de graduação em Física com respeito ao gênero. A fundamentação teórico-metodológica desta pesquisa está na teoria da mediação de Vigotski e na filosofia da linguagem do círculo de Bakhtin. A pesquisa contou com a participação de 22 estudantes de graduação em Física. Foi proposto a esses estudantes que debatessem sobre um tema da Física tão bem como suas visões de ciência. O uso que os estudantes fizeram da linguagem científica permitiu responder às seguintes questões: (1) Existe algum indício de que, quando discutem um tema de Física, homens e mulheres estão propensos a pensar de maneira diferente? (2) Existe alguma diferença entre homens e mulheres quanto às visões de ciência que carregam? (3) Existe alguma tendência entre os homens de dominar a situação do debate? Os resultados de pesquisa, ao mesmo tempo em que denunciam a dominação masculina, ilustram como as mulheres podem resistir a essa dominação. Enfim, a partir dessa pesquisa é possível defender a inclusão das mulheres na ciência não somente como uma questão de justiça social, mas como a saída mais vantajosa para a própria ciência, que poderá ganhar novas epistemologias e estilos de linguagem baseados nas maneiras tipicamente femininas de conhecer. / There is a particular gap between Brazilian and international research in science education concerning women’s attitudes toward and participation in the fields of science. Recently, international research has asserted that gender differences in socialization may produce different ways of understanding the world amid men and women. This study aims to investigate some differences and similarities between Physics’ undergraduate students concerning gender. The theoretical framework that supports this inquiry is Vigotski’s theory of mediation and Bakhtin’s linguistic philosophy. This research was made on 22 Physics’ undergraduate students. It was suggested that these students had a debate on some topic in Physics as well as their views of science. Students’ use of scientific language let us respond the following questions: (1) Is there any sign that, while discussing physics, men and women are more likely to think in different ways? (2) Is there any difference between men and women concerning the views of science they support? (3) Are men more likely then women to dominate the debate? As well as stressing male domination, research results illustrate how women may resist to this domination. At last, from this research, it is possible to argue that an increase in women’s participation in the fields of science and science education may result in new epistemologies and styles of language based on women’s ways of knowing.

Na pesquisa brasileira em educação científica, há uma lacuna no que diz respeito ao interesse e à participação das mulheres na ciência. Recentemente, a pesquisa internacional tem apontado que diferenças no processo de socialização podem produzir nos homens e nas mulheres diferentes maneiras de conhecer o mundo. O presente trabalho busca investigar algumas diferenças e semelhanças entre estudantes de graduação em Física com respeito ao gênero. A fundamentação teórico-metodológica desta pesquisa está na teoria da mediação de Vigotski e na filosofia da linguagem do círculo de Bakhtin. A pesquisa contou com a participação de 22 estudantes de graduação em Física. Foi proposto a esses estudantes que debatessem sobre um tema da Física tão bem como suas visões de ciência. O uso que os estudantes fizeram da linguagem científica permitiu responder às seguintes questões: (1) Existe algum indício de que, quando discutem um tema de Física, homens e mulheres estão propensos a pensar de maneira diferente? (2) Existe alguma diferença entre homens e mulheres quanto às visões de ciência que carregam? (3) Existe alguma tendência entre os homens de dominar a situação do debate? Os resultados de pesquisa, ao mesmo tempo em que denunciam a dominação masculina, ilustram como as mulheres podem resistir a essa dominação. Enfim, a partir dessa pesquisa é possível defender a inclusão das mulheres na ciência não somente como uma questão de justiça social, mas como a saída mais vantajosa para a própria ciência, que poderá ganhar novas epistemologias e estilos de linguagem baseados nas maneiras tipicamente femininas de conhecer. / There is a particular gap between Brazilian and international research in science education concerning women’s attitudes toward and participation in the fields of science. Recently, international research has asserted that gender differences in socialization may produce different ways of understanding the world amid men and women. This study aims to investigate some differences and similarities between Physics’ undergraduate students concerning gender. The theoretical framework that supports this inquiry is Vigotski’s theory of mediation and Bakhtin’s linguistic philosophy. This research was made on 22 Physics’ undergraduate students. It was suggested that these students had a debate on some topic in Physics as well as their views of science. Students’ use of scientific language let us respond the following questions: (1) Is there any sign that, while discussing physics, men and women are more likely to think in different ways? (2) Is there any difference between men and women concerning the views of science they support? (3) Are men more likely then women to dominate the debate? As well as stressing male domination, research results illustrate how women may resist to this domination. At last, from this research, it is possible to argue that an increase in women’s participation in the fields of science and science education may result in new epistemologies and styles of language based on women’s ways of knowing.

This dissertation examines the nature, scope, and significance of a new pedagogical approach to teaching of views on nature of science (VNOS) to high school students. Educational approaches based on teaching ‘correct’ VNOS continue to be dominated by the epistemology of logical empiricism and, as I will point out, these approaches are inadequate to address the issues of VNOS. I assert and the findings presented in this dissertation offer evidence that students’ VNOS are dynamic and context-based. In this research I used filmmaking to explore students’ VNOS. High school students, supported by a professional filmmaking crew, completed a short film entitled, The Shadows of Hope; this film explores the use of scientific knowledge in understanding everyday life problems. The filmmaking environment introduced simultaneously a number of contexts in which students’ VNOS were concurrently collected using mixed methods methodology. The results show that contexts sway students’ VNOS and generate a variety of the VNOS for each student. Evidence shows that there is a common, theme-based pattern to individual students’ set of VNOS. The variety of expressed VNOS seemed natural to the students, with no registered discomfort. However, in this study a contrast between students’ VNOS and their ‘school-based’ understanding of science also became apparent. This is evidence that cognitive dissonance is not sufficient to explain the full spectrum of ways in which students learn, deepen knowledge and arrive to conceptual change. I assert that including cognitive contextual expansion in our understanding of conceptual change is essential to provide a framework that allows to integrate cognitive diversity into the theory of learning, reflecting a perhaps more natural way human mind works. The project’s findings offer evidence that students’ VNOS deepened and expanded through filmmaking; students arrived to a more examined and mature VNOS while enjoying the activity of making a film. There is evidence that cooperation with a professional team provided students with a feeling of respect and pride. Filmmaking offers a robust way of learning, based on collaborative work that enlivens a large number of learning-enhancing activities. Additional resources and a Brief Guide For Teachers are added to this text to support teachers in adopting filmmaking as a unique pedagogical method. / Graduate / 0714 / 0900 / 0533 / akottova@uvic.ca

Le mémoire vise à proposer une épistémologie pragmatique de la science scolaire à l’école primaire. Un défaut de compréhension de la nature de la science pourrait en effet justifier en partie les difficultés de l'enseignement des sciences par démarche d'investigation. Une étude des représentations de la science chez les enseignants et futurs enseignants confirme qu’ils n‘en ont pour la plupart qu‘une vision assez floue, relevant majoritairement d'une forme d'empirisme naïf. Un jeu opératoire de critères de scientificité adapté au contexte de l’école est développé dans une approche "bottom-up" partant des pratiques de classe effectives. Sa capacité à discriminer pratiques scientifiques et non scientifiques est discutée, de même que les implications didactiques et épistémologiques de son utilisation. Il est en particulier possible d‘en déduire des définitions évolutives d‘une science scolaire normative mais subsidiaire par rapport à la “science des scientifiques”. Cet outil épistémologique s’avère bien reçu par les enseignants auxquels il a été présenté. Le test en situation de différentes stratégies pédagogiques fait apparaître que les plus efficaces pour l'appropriation de critères de scientificité ajoutent à la démarche d’investigation une composante épistémologique explicite. Certains éléments de méthode scientifique peuvent être travaillés dès la Grande Section de maternelle (5-6 ans) : des élèves ayant vécu des démarches d’investigation s’avèrent capables de revendiquer la primauté de l’expérience, mais aussi de mettre en œuvre des tests relatifs à plusieurs critères de scientificité et de s‘approprier les rudiments de la modélisation scientifique. / The purpose of this thesis is to propose a pragmatic epistemology of school science in primary school. Indeed, some of the difficulties encountered by inquiry-based science education may be attributed to a lack of understanding of the very nature of science. A survey on the perception of science by incumbent teachers and teachers in training confirms that most of them have a relatively vague vision grounded in a form of naive empiricism. A practical set of criteria of scientificity adapted to the school context is developed through a “bottom-up” approach based on actual classroom practices. Its efficiency at discriminating scientific and non-scientific practices is discussed, as well as the didactical and epistemological implications of its use. It is thus possible to deduce evolutive definitions of a school science that is normative yet subordinated to the “science of scientists”. Teachers responded positively to this epistemological tool when it was presented to them. Among the different teaching strategies tested in a classroom, the most efficient for the acquisition of criteria of scientificity were those which supplemented the inquiry process with an explicit epistemological component. Some elements of scientific method can be introduced as early as kindergarten (5-6 y.o) : after experimenting with inquiry processes, pupils have proved able not only to claim the primacy of experiment but also to run tests related to different criteria of scientificity and acquire the basics of scientific modeling.