Nature of Science (often abbreviated as NoS) is a term that refers to various topics related to sociology, philosophy, and history of science. It is a metacognition about science's products in an interdisciplinary analysis of these areas of knowledge, together with specialists in didactics of science and scientists.
Contents
Also, the NoS seeks a recognition of the values implicit in the development of theories and statements, given that science is not neutral and it is subject to constant review. This leads to consider science beyond of the concept of an unalterable body of knowledge referred to in the Scientific Method. It involves to develop a science concept linked to the social and epistemological facts, without neglecting the scientific community setting where scientists develop their hypotheses and theories. For example the periodic table of elements is always evolving and changing based on era, knowledge, discovery, and scientific exploration.
Features
For several authors, the term refers specifically to the epistemology of science and refers mainly to intrinsic values and assumptions of scientific knowledge while for other specialists however, the concept refers to other broader issues such as the functioning of science, what science is, how it develops and builds the knowledge it generates, and the methodology used to disseminate and validate the knowledge, among others.
Nature of science and values education
The relationship between teaching science and values education, is based on the fact that individuals externalize the evaluative interpretations of cultural and social phenomena. Science and its construction, can not escape to the historical context in which theories are generated and in fact, are affected by the values of the time. This is framed on the premise that the teaching of the terms relating to techno-scientific knowledge is not neutral, because the conceptions of how science is built are affected by scientists´s ethical and moral factors. Science education involves intentionality regarding the transmission of values of empirical nature. Neutrality involves analysis and questioning of the ethical proposals with a multidisciplinary and inclusive approach.
The conceptualization from an ethical perspective, aims to address science from a human perspective that is associated with the collective construction of knowledge for the benefit of communities.