1 meaning and nature of science

This PPT focus on Meaning and Nature of Science

1. MEANING AND NATURE OF SCIENCE Dr. Jaganmohana Rao Faculty of Education MITE, Kohima

2. Humans are curious by nature. This curiosity has driven them since time immemorial to explore the world around them. Science as a discipline has its unique perspective. Science is not limited to observation, experimentation and analysis only; rather it is a way of life. Science is an expanding body of knowledge through process of inquiry. INTRODUCTION

3. Perhaps , India may be the only nation with a constitutional provision as fundamental duty ‘to develop scientific temper’ among its citizens. Article 51A (h) is “To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform”. This reflects how we thought about Science. For us, Science is neither a pedagogical discipline nor a group of certain subjects. We have perceived Science as a way of life with rational thinking. This feeling and understanding should be inculcated among learners since childhood so that they can perceive Science as a part of their life. Our scientific traditions are ancient and our perception about Science is associated with the notions like logic, rationality, truth, knowledge and intelligence.

4. In natural science ,  we study about nature which means the entire universe. The knowledge is now organized in several disciplines for the convenience of study. This knowledge is based on inquiry, observations and logical extensions, and is testable by experiment or has logically convincing explanation. It is this organized knowledge with inquiry, logical reasoning and experimentation as its central themes, that we call science. Science may rightly be said to be a domain of inquiry. WHAT IS SCIENCE?

5. Etymologically the word ‘ Science’ has been derived from the Latin word ‘ scientia ’ which means ‘Knowledge /knowing ’. Meaning of Science

6. Humans have always been curious about the world around them. The inquiring and imaginative human mind has responded to the wonder and fright of nature in different ways. Science is a dynamic, expanding body of knowledge covering ever new domains of experience. How is this knowledge generated? What is the so called scientific method? As with many complex things in life, the scientific method is perhaps more easily discerned than defined. Nature of Science

7. But broadly speaking, it involves several interconnected steps: observation, looking for regularities and patterns, making hypotheses, devising qualitative or mathematical models, deducing their consequences; verification or falsification of theories through observations and controlled experiments, and thus arriving at the principles, theories and laws governing the physical world.

8. Science has certain characteristics which distinguish it from other spheres of human endeavor. These characteristics define the nature of science. Science is a particular way of looking at nature Science is a rapidly expanding body of knowledge Science is an interdisciplinary area of learning Science is a truly international enterprise Science is always tentative Science promotes scepticism ; scientists are highly sceptic people Science demands perseverance from its practitioners Science as an approach to investigation and as a process of constructing knowledge Characteristics of Science

9. Nature of Science seeks to describe the nature of the scientific enterprise and the characteristics of the knowledge it generates. Why teach the nature of science? It helps us better define the boundaries of science and non-science It increased student interest It developing awareness of the impacts of science in society The better understanding of science and what types of questions science can answer how science differs from other disciplines the strengths and limitations of scientific knowledge (Bell, 2008) Nature of science

10. Tentativeness: All scientific knowledge is subject to change in light of new evidence and new ways of thinking. That does not mean that we shouldn’t have confidence in scientific knowledge, rather that it may change in the future. Observation and inference: Observation involves gathering information using the five senses while inferences are explanations based on observation and prior knowledge. Key tenets of NOS

11. Empirical evidence: Scientific knowledge is derived from data and evidence gathered by observation or experimentation. Scientific laws and theories: A law is a succinct description of relationships or patterns in nature based on observation and is often expressed mathematically. Scientific theories are broadly based concepts that make sense of a large body of observations and experimentation.

12. Objectivity and subjectivity: Scientists strive to be objective and employ self-correcting mechanisms such as peer review. But intuition, personal beliefs, and social values Scientific methods: scientists employ a wide variety of approaches to generate scientific knowledge. There is no single universal method. Creativity: is a source of innovation and inspiration in science. Scientists use creativity and imagination throughout their investigations. Key concepts of NOS

13. THANK YOU