Understanding the tentativeness of scientific knowledge among eleventh-grade students in Nepal

Abstract

     Children must understand the tentativeness of scientific knowledge to comprehend the Nature of Science. The method by which children understand the tentativeness of science must first be identified. Recent research suggests it is difficult for children to understand scientific creativity in Japan and that only inquiry learning cannot facilitate further understanding.

     In Nepal, children take science classes based solely on memorizing knowledge from the third grade. We conducted research based on the revised NSKS (Nature of Scientific Knowledge Scale) test for eleventh-grade students in Nepal to clarify how they understood science tentativeness. Moreover, this research is relevant to science classes in Japan.

     The results suggest that students did not understand the tentativeness of scientific knowledge, especially scientific creativity. The results agreed with those of primary school students, junior high school students, and university students in Japan.