ABSTRACT

The purpose of this chapter is to bring to your attention some matters that affect your science teaching in broad ways. How you perceive science shapes what you do in your lessons. Conceptions stem from many years of doing and learning science, so you may not be altogether conscious of them but they will, nevertheless, determine the flavour of your lessons. At the same time, your pupils will have their own conceptions of science and these will shape how they respond to your lessons. If you are aware of such conceptions you can take them into account. By the end of the chapter you should:

• know some key features of the nature of science; • be able to justify the place of science in the curriculum; • be aware of how you and others may think of science; • know how models of science teaching could help you.