ABSTRACT
Numerous studies in the field of science education have brought out a general consensus about the dominance of an empirico-realist representation of the production of scientific knowledge among science teachers (Cross, 1997; Haggerty, 1992; Palmquist and Finley, 1997). This will come as no great surprise when one considers the fact that teachers’ initial preparation, whether in science or education, does not include any serious reflection on such representations (Gallagher, 1991). Moreover, it has been shown that their epistemological stance plays an important role in shaping their pedagogical practice (Geddis, 1988; Lemke, 1993), with the result that, consciously or not, a particular idea about science nevertheless ends up being promoted in the classroom. Thus a cycle originates in primary school, continues on into university, and returns once more to primary school. This cycle is at the heart of what Wagner (1994) has called folk sciences, and explains the long lease on life enjoyed by one particular representation of science in schools (Larochelle et al., 1995).
