ABSTRACT
Although it is not a new phenomenon, teaching the history and nature of science in schools has gained emphasis in the last two decades with the publication of Science for all Americans: a Project 2061 report on literacy goals in science, mathematics, and technology (Rutherford & Ahlgren, 1989), Benchmarks for scientific literacy (American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1993), and the NSES (National Research Council, 1996). ese three documents state a common goal for science education in the United States: creating scientically literate citizens who can compete in an increasingly technological world (Bybee, 1997, 2000; DeBoer, 1991). ey all advocate that all people involved in teaching and learning science understand scientic inquiry and the nature of science. In today’s society in particular, when there is public questioning about scientic claims (e.g., global warming; evolution), it is imperative for students to be able to eectively understand what science is (and what it is not) to fairly evaluate scientic knowledge (Moore, 1993).
