Gregory Macklem (University of Notre Dame)
I don’t need to argue the value of philosophy of science to the attendees of a PSA conference, and it is perhaps an obvious claim (for those same attendees, at least) that it is impossible to teach a science class without at least an implicit communication of philosophy of science. According to the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), there are roughly 60,000 middle school and 105,00 high school science teachers in the United States, along with an additional 1.6 million elementary school teachers who are expected to teach science. This suggests that there are upwards of 2 million individuals in the U.S. who are engaging in and teaching basic philosophy of science but have had very little, if any, training.
This poster is intended to describe ways that philosophers of science can engage with both pre-service and in-service science educators to help them (1) expand their understanding of philosophy of science, (2) understand the importance of philosophy of science, (3) be more reflective on their own practice as science educators, and (4) alter their instruction to more appropriately incorporate philosophy of science (explicitly or implicitly).
Specific examples that can be used include:
(A) Presentations at science education conferences: I gave a session at a 2017 NSTA regional conference along with another historian and a philosopher of science entitled “C'mon, Neil! Why Good Philosophy is Part of Good Science Teaching and Science.” I have also given a session at a state-level conference: “The top 5 reasons to abandon the 5-step scientific method.”
(B) Discussion of professional development modules that can be used with pre-service and/or in-service science teachers.
(C) Collaborating with professors in science education programs
