Study of Nature of Science Components from Members of Scientific Associations’ Points of View

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Abstract

Abstract:
The goal of this paper is the study of Iranian members of scientific associations’ (physics, chemistry, biology, and geology) conceptions of nature of science. These aspects are tentativeness, empirical basis, creativity, subjectivity, socio-cultural issues, observation/interpretation and theory/law. Participants include 19 subjects of scientific association’s members. In order to collect and analyze data, open-ended questionnaire, and categorizing method have been used respectively. Results show that scientific associations’ members have congruent conceptions with current ideas in five aspects, tentativeness, empirical basis, creativity, subjectivity and observation / interpretation of nature of science. Nonetheless, regarding socio-cultural effects on science and the difference between theory and law and their effects on the production and development of scientific knowledge, they don’t have the same conceptions with accepted components of nature of science.

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