Using a Modeling Approach to Explore Scientific Epistemology with High School Biology Students

摘要

High school students in an elective genetics class participated in the construction and revision of explanatory models as they attempted to account for a variety of inheritance phenomena observed in computer-generated fruit flies. Throughout the course, students were encouraged to explore epistemological issues related to the assessment and justification of knowledge claims (explanatory models) in genetics. For instance, lab group meetings that required the students to share their ideas while still in the formative stage helped to place the emphasis of their interactions on attempting to pinpoint conceptual inconsistencies underlying the models that werent working rather than simply presenting empirical evidence for models that were complete. During the 9-week course, the students conceptions of models changed: Initially the majority of students equated scientific models with proof (generally physical) of theories; at the end of the course, most students demonstrated understanding of the conceptual nature of scientific models and the need to justify such knowledge according to both its empirical utility and conceptual consistency.