Styles of Scientific Reasoning, Scientific Practices and Argument in Science and Science Education

Chicago practices talk v2

1. Jonathan Osborne
Graduate School of Education
Stanford University
Styles of Scientific Reasoning, Scientific Practices and
Argument in Science and Science Education

2. The History of Science
2
“A history of vision and argument”
Crombie, Alistair Cameron. (1994). Styles of scientific thinking in
the European tradition: The history of argument and explanation
especially in the mathematical and biomedical sciences and arts
(Vol. 1): Duckworth London.

3. Crazy Ideas in Science
Day and Night is caused by a Spinning Earth
The Continents have moved
We have evolved from other animals
The Earth is 5 billion years old
Diseases are caused by tiny living organisms
We live at the bottom of a sea of air
You look like your parents because every cell carries a chemically
coded message of how to reproduce yourself
3

4. History of Science as a History of Error
Ptolemy’s geocentric universe,
Lamarkianism
The ether,
The Denial of Wegner/s Theory
Cold fusion
Phlogiston
Spontaneous generation,
4

5. Styles of Reasoning in Science
1. Mathematical Deductive Logic
2. Experimental Exploration
3. Hypothetical Modeling
4. Categorization and Classification
5. Probabilistic and Statistical Thinking
6. Evolutionary/Genetic Explanations
5
Crombie, Alistair Cameron. (1994). Styles of scientific thinking in the European tradition: The history of
argument and explanation especially in the mathematical and biomedical sciences and arts (Vol. 1):
Duckworth London.

6. Features
Style
Entities Procedural
Enties
Epistemic
Constructs
Heroes
Mathematical
Deduction
Exponents
Differentials
Geometry, Calculus Deductive proof
Pythagoras, Euclid,
Newton, Maxwell,
Einstein
Experimental
Exploration
Intrumentation Control of Variables
Observations
Experimental Tests
Controls/RCT testing
Galileo
Hypothetical
Modeling
Wave model of light Thought Experiments
Explanatory coherence
Accuracy/Parsimony
Galileo
Bohr
Probabalistic
and Stastical
Thinking
Gaussian DistributionStatistical Testing Role of uncertainty
Pascal, Gauss, Poisson,
Cronbach
Categorization
and
Classfication
Species,
Elements
Rock Types
Criteria for Category
Membership
The significance & role
of classification
Linnaeus
Mendelev
Evolutionary/Gen
etic Reasoning
Gene
Adaptation
DNA
Genetic Determination
Role of Observation and
Inference
Mendel, Darwin

7. Teaching and Learning
Content
Procedural
Epistemic
The Forms of Knowledge in Science

8. Content
Procedural
Epistemic
Teaching and Learning

9. Procedural
Knowledge
•Concepts of
Evidence
•Observation
•Measurement
•Instrumentation
•Reliability/Validity
•Variables/Fair Testing
•Control of Variables
Epistemic
Knowledge
•Ideas-About-
Science
•Observation
•Argument
•Theory
•Model
•Hypothesis
9

10. PISA 2015 Scientific Literacy Framework
10

11. Elaboration of the Definition
•Explain phenomena scientifically:
Recognise, offer and evaluate explanations for a range of natural
and technological phenomena.
•Evaluate and design scientific enquiry:
Describe and appraise scientific investigations and propose ways of
addressing questions scientifically.
•Interpret data and evidence scientifically:
Analyze and evaluate scientific data, claims and arguments in a variety
of representations and draw appropriate conclusions.
A scientifically literate person, therefore, is willing to engage in
reasoned discourse about science and technology which requires
the competencies to:

12. What is wrong with inquiry?
12
Students describe objects and events, ask questions,
construct explanations, test those explanations against current
scientific knowledge, and communicate their ideas to others.
They identify their assumptions, use critical and logical
thinking, and consider alternative explanations. In this way,
students actively develop their understanding of science by
combining scientific knowledge with reasoning and thinking
skills.

13. The Role of Argument in Science
13

14. The Practices of Science
1416
1. Asking Questions and Defining Problems
2. Developing and Using Models
3. Planning and Carrying out Investigations
4. Analyzing and Interpreting Data
5. Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
6. Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
7. Engaging in Argument from Evidence
8. Obtaining, Evaluating and Communicating Information

15. Thee Central Questions of Science
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1.What exists? (The ontological question)
2.Why does it happen? (The causal question)
3.How do we know? (The epistemic question)

16. 2.Developing and Using Models
16

17. Water Model of an Electric Circuit
17

18. Bicycle Model of An Electric Circuit
18

19. Bohr Model of the Atom
19

20. 3. Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
20
A Teacher asked her students to investigate this problem:
How does temperature affect the time taken for sugar to dissolve?
The students were asked to describe the investigation. These are some of the
things they write. How clearly has each student described the investigation? And
which is the best?
JEMMA: We have got to write down what we are going to do and then do it.
KIRSTY: We are looking to see how different temperatures affect how long
it takes the sugar to dissolve.
EMMA: We are trying to see if sugar dissolves in water.
ANITA: We are adding sugar to hot and cold water to see how long it takes
to dissolve
ALEX: We are trying to find the best temperature for dissolving sugar in
water.
LOUISE: We have to put the same amount of sugar in water with different
temperatures and see what happened

21. 4. Analyzing and Interpreting Data
21

22. 3. Analyzing and Interpreting Data
22
(a)One pupil had the most breaths and she
also had the highest pulse rate.
(b)All the people with a high breath rate
had a high pulse rate.
(c)The higher your breathing rate, the
greater the pulse rate.
(d)On the whole, those people with a
higher breath rate had a higher pulse
rate.

23. 5. Using Mathematics & Computational Thinking
23
1. Who is the tallest
2. Who is the smallest
3. What is the average?

24. 6. Constructing Explanations
24
Why do objects fall at the same rate in the absence
of air?
• Gravity pulls on all objects
•If the mass is double, the pull of gravity will double
•Twice the mass takes twice as long to speed up
• Think of two objects, one twice as massive as the other
• Force is double but so is the mass

25. 7. Engaging in Argument from Evidence
25

26. 7. Engaging in Argument from Evidence?
26
Construction Critique&
Knowing why the wrong idea is wrong matters as much
as knowing why the right idea is right

27. THE MARRIED TASK
Peter looks at Linda
Linda looks at Henry
Peter is married
Henry is not married
 
Is this an example of someone who is married looking at someone who is not
married?
YES NO CAN’T TELL

28. Argumentative Theory of Reasoning
28
Humans are poor at reasoning
Group Discourse forces epistemic vigilance
Reasoning should work best when used in group contexts
Mercier, H., & Sperber, D. (2011). Why do humans reason? Arguments for an
argumentative theory. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 34(02), 57-74.

29. Before
Day & Night
Caused By A
Spinning
Earth?
Argument
s For
Argument
s
Against
After
Day & Night
Caused By A
Spinning
Earth
50%
50%
How Likely? Ratio of 1:1
29

30. Before
Teaching
Day & Night
Caused By A
Spinning
Earth?
After
Teaching
Day & Night
Caused By A
Spinning
Earth?
Argument
s For
Argument
s
Against
66%
33%
How Likely? Ratio of 2:1
30

31. Before
Teaching
Day & Night
Caused By A
Spinning
Earth?
After
Teaching
Day & Night
Caused By A
Spinning
Earth?
Argument
s For
Argument
s
Against
80%
20%
How Likely? Ratio of 4:1
31

32. 10
Text

33. 6 Arguments for Argument
Empirical Case
Moral Case
History of Science Case
Literacy Case
Pedagogical Case
Affective Case
33

34. Arguments Against a Spinning Earth
1.The Sun moves from East to West during the day
2.If the Earth was spinning, you would not land on the
same spot when you jump up.
3.If it was spinning, once a day, the speed at the equator
would be over 1000 miles an hour. At that speed
everybody would be flung off.
34

36. 8. Obtaining, evaluating and communicating
information
36
Science without Literacy is like a ship without a sail

37. 1
•Draw it
Phenomena
Ideas

38. Literacy Development
3813
Basic
Literacy
Intermediate
Literacy
Disciplinary
Literacy

39. 14

41. Theory of Reading in Science
Reading is a constructive
Dependent on interpretation
Principled
Good reader is a critical reader
Specific Challenges of Science Texts
Density
Academic Language
Multi-modality
Genre
41

42. Summary and Conclusions
42
Styles of Reasoning offer a rationale for the cultural value of science
Content
Procedural
Epistemic Knowledge
The turn to practice is a move in the right direction
But??