A educação em Ciências pode auxiliar a população a entender a natureza e a utilidade da Ciência, e contribuir para a formação de cidadãos esclarecidos e atuantes. A partir de tais pressupostos, a proposta deste estudo foi ver se cursos experimentais baseados no aprendizado através da resolução de problemas (RP), com ênfase em fundamentações histórica e epistemológica, podem melhorar o entendimento dos estudantes acerca da natureza do conhecimento científico. Nosso estudo demonstrou que, depois de uma resistência inicial, os estudantes encararam de forma positiva a oportunidade que tiveram para planejar e executar experimentos de seu próprio interesse, ao invés de seguir receitas prontas como ocorre usualmente nas atividades desenvolvidas nos laboratórios escolares. Alémhouve um aumento significativo nos escores totais, e também nos escores das subescalas criativo, experimental e unificado, conforme a escala “Nature of Scientific Knowledge Scale” (NSKS), depois que os estudantes participaram dos cursos; indicando uma melhora no entendimento acerca da natureza do conhecimento científico. De particular interesse, a execução de atividades práticas baseadas na RP com problemas mal-estruturados levou uma grande parte dos estudantes a sentirem que estavam trabalhando criativamente e fazendo Ciência. Deste modo, as atividades propostas neste trabalho poderiam ser expandidas como uma forma de melhorar a educação em Ciências e estimular a formação de uma nova geração de cientistas criativos no Brasil. / Science education can help people to understand the nature and utility of science, and contribute to developing informed and active citizen. Hence, the purpose of this study was to see if problem-based learning (PBL) in experimental vacation’ courses, with emphasis on the historical and epistemological foundations, can increase students’ understanding regarding nature of scientific knowledge. After initial strangeness, our study has shown that students usually rated high the opportunities that they had to plan and execute experiments of their own, instead of following cookbook recipes as usually happens in laboratory classes at school. In addition, post-test scores were significantly higher than pre-test scores on the total Nature of Scientific Knowledge Scale (NSKS), and on creative, testable, and unified NSKS subscales, indicating an improved understanding of nature of scientific knowledge among school students. Of particular interest, the execution of practical activities in PBL form with ill-structured problems led a significant part of students to feel that they were creating and doing science. Therefore, the activities here proposed could be expanded as a form of to improve the science education and to stimulate the formation of a new generation of creative scientists in Brazil.

A educação em Ciências pode auxiliar a população a entender a natureza e a utilidade da Ciência, e contribuir para a formação de cidadãos esclarecidos e atuantes. A partir de tais pressupostos, a proposta deste estudo foi ver se cursos experimentais baseados no aprendizado através da resolução de problemas (RP), com ênfase em fundamentações histórica e epistemológica, podem melhorar o entendimento dos estudantes acerca da natureza do conhecimento científico. Nosso estudo demonstrou que, depois de uma resistência inicial, os estudantes encararam de forma positiva a oportunidade que tiveram para planejar e executar experimentos de seu próprio interesse, ao invés de seguir receitas prontas como ocorre usualmente nas atividades desenvolvidas nos laboratórios escolares. Alémhouve um aumento significativo nos escores totais, e também nos escores das subescalas criativo, experimental e unificado, conforme a escala “Nature of Scientific Knowledge Scale” (NSKS), depois que os estudantes participaram dos cursos; indicando uma melhora no entendimento acerca da natureza do conhecimento científico. De particular interesse, a execução de atividades práticas baseadas na RP com problemas mal-estruturados levou uma grande parte dos estudantes a sentirem que estavam trabalhando criativamente e fazendo Ciência. Deste modo, as atividades propostas neste trabalho poderiam ser expandidas como uma forma de melhorar a educação em Ciências e estimular a formação de uma nova geração de cientistas criativos no Brasil. / Science education can help people to understand the nature and utility of science, and contribute to developing informed and active citizen. Hence, the purpose of this study was to see if problem-based learning (PBL) in experimental vacation’ courses, with emphasis on the historical and epistemological foundations, can increase students’ understanding regarding nature of scientific knowledge. After initial strangeness, our study has shown that students usually rated high the opportunities that they had to plan and execute experiments of their own, instead of following cookbook recipes as usually happens in laboratory classes at school. In addition, post-test scores were significantly higher than pre-test scores on the total Nature of Scientific Knowledge Scale (NSKS), and on creative, testable, and unified NSKS subscales, indicating an improved understanding of nature of scientific knowledge among school students. Of particular interest, the execution of practical activities in PBL form with ill-structured problems led a significant part of students to feel that they were creating and doing science. Therefore, the activities here proposed could be expanded as a form of to improve the science education and to stimulate the formation of a new generation of creative scientists in Brazil.

A educação em Ciências pode auxiliar a população a entender a natureza e a utilidade da Ciência, e contribuir para a formação de cidadãos esclarecidos e atuantes. A partir de tais pressupostos, a proposta deste estudo foi ver se cursos experimentais baseados no aprendizado através da resolução de problemas (RP), com ênfase em fundamentações histórica e epistemológica, podem melhorar o entendimento dos estudantes acerca da natureza do conhecimento científico. Nosso estudo demonstrou que, depois de uma resistência inicial, os estudantes encararam de forma positiva a oportunidade que tiveram para planejar e executar experimentos de seu próprio interesse, ao invés de seguir receitas prontas como ocorre usualmente nas atividades desenvolvidas nos laboratórios escolares. Alémhouve um aumento significativo nos escores totais, e também nos escores das subescalas criativo, experimental e unificado, conforme a escala “Nature of Scientific Knowledge Scale” (NSKS), depois que os estudantes participaram dos cursos; indicando uma melhora no entendimento acerca da natureza do conhecimento científico. De particular interesse, a execução de atividades práticas baseadas na RP com problemas mal-estruturados levou uma grande parte dos estudantes a sentirem que estavam trabalhando criativamente e fazendo Ciência. Deste modo, as atividades propostas neste trabalho poderiam ser expandidas como uma forma de melhorar a educação em Ciências e estimular a formação de uma nova geração de cientistas criativos no Brasil. / Science education can help people to understand the nature and utility of science, and contribute to developing informed and active citizen. Hence, the purpose of this study was to see if problem-based learning (PBL) in experimental vacation’ courses, with emphasis on the historical and epistemological foundations, can increase students’ understanding regarding nature of scientific knowledge. After initial strangeness, our study has shown that students usually rated high the opportunities that they had to plan and execute experiments of their own, instead of following cookbook recipes as usually happens in laboratory classes at school. In addition, post-test scores were significantly higher than pre-test scores on the total Nature of Scientific Knowledge Scale (NSKS), and on creative, testable, and unified NSKS subscales, indicating an improved understanding of nature of scientific knowledge among school students. Of particular interest, the execution of practical activities in PBL form with ill-structured problems led a significant part of students to feel that they were creating and doing science. Therefore, the activities here proposed could be expanded as a form of to improve the science education and to stimulate the formation of a new generation of creative scientists in Brazil.

Background and Purpose. This PhD thesis is a qualitative research project using interpretive and socio-cultural theories in a case study design. It explores medical students’ beliefs about scientific knowledge and the nature of evidence as applied to medicine, at key transition points in their education. This thesis situates current theories and conceptual models of epistemological development from the fields of psychology and education within the emergent field of medical education. Its aim is to provide insights into personal epistemological development, any curriculum barriers to such and provide insights into how students can be better supported, notably in transition periods. It addresses both a gap in the literature and the calls for more research into the development of student epistemologies in professional education. The thesis key research questions are: • What are medical students’ beliefs and understandings about the nature of scientific knowledge as applied to medicine? • What curriculum factors appear to facilitate or inhibit medical students’ epistemological development, at key transitions? Methodology. The case study design involved a four phase approach; • Phase 1: This was a critical discourse analysis of key policy and curricula texts to explore assumptions, inconsistencies or disputes relating to science and scientific content in the field of medical education. • Phase 2: This was the observation of learning episodes in preparation for Phase 3 involving participants. The purpose of Phase 2 was to situate and ground conversations with participants in real experiences. • Phase 3: This phase involved task groups and semi-structured interviews with medical students and faculty participants based at the University of Exeter Medical School (UEMS). Task groups and semi-structured interviews explored individual beliefs about the nature of science and scientific evidence as applied to medicine generally and the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (BMBS) curriculum content specifically. This included its contested scientific content and the nature of complexity and uncertainty in evidence based medicine. • Phase 4: This final phase involved presenting the case study findings to two other UK medical schools to explore the tentative applicability or transferability. The purpose of Phase 4 was to consider how case-specific and context bound the case study findings are. Findings. Findings suggest there is substantial variation in how medical students and faculty talk about science and evidence in medicine. This is influenced by their experiences of courses studied prior to entering medical school and their maturity in age. Medical students described how faculty informally spoke about the ambiguity within medical practice as clinical decision making, but there were very few reports of faculty explicitly speaking about the uncertain and tentative nature of scientific knowledge underpinning applied medicine. The bio-sciences were still dominant in terms of curriculum and assessment content. Where science in medicine is defined and approaches to scientific research are stated, formal curriculum documents espouse a narrow and positivistic methodological approach, which serves to perpetuate misconceptions regarding scientific research within medicine and may influence epistemological beliefs about the nature of science within medicine. Discussion and Conclusions. It is anticipated this case study will afford medical educators and curriculum designers insights upon which to address imbalances, include appropriate content, and reinforce good practice, so that medical graduates are effectively prepared for the challenges of a career in medicine.

本研究是以1980年代以後的科學教育目標來分析我國國小自然科學教科書 之課本、教學指引及習作，探討教科書的內容、實驗活動及作業問題型態 ，並調查國小自然科教師對教科書的使用意見，了解現行教科書的優缺點 ，以供編撰教科書及學校、教師選擇教科書的參考。 為達上述之目的，本研究在內容分析部份採用的工具有科學知識本質年齡 層次分類表、ＳＴＳ科學教育目標、實驗活動發現開放層次分類法、科學 過程探究技能、教科書作業問題型態評估工具、以及 Bloom的目標分類法 ，在問卷調查方面採用國小自然科學教科書之意見調查表來蒐集和分析資 料。 本研究的主要發現如下: 一、國小自然科學教科書之課本內容在文字敘述上涉及科學知識本質的僅 佔0.084%，而這些文字敘述只提到科學知識是實證性的，雖如此，但其內 容仍含有科學知識本質之正面教學功能。 二、國小自然科學教科書的每個單元都提及個人需要及學術準備的科學教 育目標，而有25.53%的單元提及與科學有關的社會議題，但無提及有關生 涯職業教育的內容。 三、國小自然科學教科書的實驗活動無屬於層次０的單元，有55.32%的單 元屬於層次１，42.55%的單元屬於層次２，2.13% 的單元屬於層次３，是 屬相當不錯的實驗活動設計。 四、國小自然科學教科書習作的作業問題型態以及層次之分佈，有1.94% 的問題屬於非經驗性問題，98.06%的問題屬於經驗或實驗性問題；且屬於 高層次問題的比例較多，亦有一些價值性問題的設計，是相當重視學生高 層次問題解決的學習。以 Bloom目標分類來看，幾乎所有的作業問題都屬 於認知領域的問題，佔了99.72%，其中以理解和應用的問題為最多。 五、國小自然科教師對教科書的整體意見為滿意。可是教師對於教科書的 內容並不滿意但尚可接受；其他各項來說，教師對教科書的組織、閱讀層 次、圖表說明、課文中的實驗活動及習作、教學指引、教科書的容貌均呈 滿意的態度。 The purpose of this study was to analyze the science textbooks used in the elementary schools of Taiwan in terms of goals for science education. The following five components were studied and analyzed:(1)the nature of scientific knowledge, (2)the interaction of science, technology and society, (3)openness and process/skills of laboratory activities, (4)type and level of questioning style, and(5)opinions of science teachers concerning science textbooks. For the purposes described above, seven methods were adopted for this study; that is, the classification of the nature of scientific knowledge, the desired state of science in the elementary school, the level of discovery/openness, science process or inquity skills, and textbook questioning strategies assessment instrument, Bloom's taxonomy classifies educational objectives and science textbook rating system. The major findings include: 1.Only about 0.084% of the narrative page space is devoted to the nature of scientific knowledge in the science textbooks used in elementary school. Only empirical scientific knowledge was presented. 2.Every unit in the science textbooks used in elementary school is associated with the goals of personal needs and academic preparation. 25.53% of units are associated with the goals of societal issues, but no unit associated with the goals of career education. 3.Most of the laboratory activities in the science textbooks used in elementary schools, which provided the problems and the procedures to student's performance, belong to level 1 or 2. 4.Most of the questions are experiential questions(98.06%). And almost of the questions are cognitive domain(99.72%), and most of them are comprehension questions and application questions. 5.Most of the elementary school science teachers are satisfied with the science textbooks used in elementary schools , and their satisfaction goes beyond the contents of the textbooks.