Chapter 13: Role of Visual Data in Effectively Teaching the Nature of Science

The nature of science (NOS), a phrase commonly used in science education, refers to matters such as what science is, how science works, characteristics of science and scientists, and epistemological and ontological issues inherent in the development and acceptance of scientific knowledge by scientists and the wider scientific community. Promoting a more accurate understanding of the NOS is a well-established aim of science education (Lederman, 1992; Matthews, 2012), having a history that goes back more than a century. Project 2061 (AAAS, 1989), and other major science education reform documents that followed (AAAS, 1993, 2001; NRC, 1996) have understanding the NOS as a central feature of science literacy. The recent Next Generation Science Standards (NRC, 2013) continue that emphasis, embedding the NOS within efforts to engage students in, and promote an understanding of, scientific practices.