ABSTRACT
Students’ beliefs about the nature of science and scientific knowledge are considered an important and vital part of their science education (Duschl, 1994; Lederman, 1992; National Research Council, 1996). Although the role of these beliefs are viewed as fundamental for learning and understanding science, little attention has been paid to young students’ views of the nature of knowledge in science. Elementary school is a time during which children are exposed to formal instruction in science and acquire an understanding of the world around them (Bruer, 1993), and thus may develop some comprehension of the nature of scientific knowledge. The goal of this study is to describe fifth grade students’ beliefs about the nature of scientific knowledge.
