Bhutanese In-Service Science Teachers’ Conceptions of the Nature of Science

Dumcho Wangdi, Bajothang Higher Secondary School, Wangdue 

Sonam Tshomo, Bajothang Higher Secondary School, Wangdue

Sonam Lhamo, Bhutan Council for School Examinations and Assessment, Thimphu

Abstract

This study explores Bhutanese in-service science teachers’ conceptions of the nature of science (NOS) by using the Understanding Nature of Science (UNOS) questionnaire. The 15, two-tiered items focus on the five aspects of NOS: (1) scientific knowledge, (2) scientific theories and laws, (3) scientific method, (4) scientists’ work, and (5) scientific enterprise. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA tests. The findings revealed that a majority of the inservice science teachers possessed a naïve or uninformed conception of NOS on some aspects of scientific theories and laws, scientific methods, scientists work, and scientific enterprise. A oneway analysis of variance indicated that there was statistically no significant difference on the level of conception of NOS for the in-service science teachers’ based on their teaching subject (F[2, 75] = 0.44, p = .064) at p = .05. The findings of this study may inform the relevant stakeholders about the current state of the in-service science teachers understanding of NOS and suggest further research in better understanding how Bhutanese teachers model NOS in their classroom teaching. 

Keywords: nature of science, in-service teachers, science teachers, conceptions, science education