The ‘Nature of Science’ and the Perils of Epistemic Relativism

There is an increasing demand in the field of science education for the incorporation of philosophical and sociological aspects that are related to the scientific enterprise in school curricula, to the extent that the incorporation of these aspects is now considered a necessity. Several of these asp...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Research in science education (Australasian Science Education Research Association) 2019-12, Vol.49 (6), p.1735-1757
Main Authors: Romero-Maltrana, Diego, Benitez, Federico, Vera, Francisco, Rivera, Rodrigo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Curricula
Education
Empirical analysis
Epistemology
Relativism
Science Curriculum
Science Education
Scientific Principles
Teaching Methods
Values
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Summary:There is an increasing demand in the field of science education for the incorporation of philosophical and sociological aspects that are related to the scientific enterprise in school curricula, to the extent that the incorporation of these aspects is now considered a necessity. Several of these aspects can be categorised within the framework of the nature of science , or NOS. We warn that a possible misinterpretation of the common view of NOS tenets can lead to epistemic relativism. We pay special attention to the empirical and objective nature of science because these important features, properly understood, can help eliminate subjective flaws and protect against relativism. Some of the epistemological concepts that are relevant to this discussion are disambiguated in an attempt to prevent the temptation to take views to an extreme, as has occurred in some cases. We expect this analysis to contribute to the extant literature by improving how science is presented in the classroom without oversimplifying scientific practice.
ISSN:0157-244X
1573-1898
DOI:10.1007/s11165-017-9673-8