an innovative approach

One conception about science demanded evidence was mainly
perceived by most of students. Eighty one percentages thought that scientists tried to
investigate, search and experiment for an explanation of science, the evidence of
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science. There was no student focusing on process or method of science as the way of
finding the evidence.
However, two third students, sixty two percentages, understood
that scientists had not worked individually; science was a complex social activity.
Thirteen students noted that present scientists’ discovery was building up on previous
scientists’ discovery. Ten students believed that scientists in many fields shared ideas
or results to advance scientific knowledge.
The survey, observation and interview with students indicated
that the students did not fully understand the nature of science in the three aspects.
The understanding of the nature of science sometimes appeared to relate with the
students’ personal behaviors in studying biology.
The student, S09, who liked doing hands-on activity and had no
chance to participate in learning activities, believed that scientists used the
experiments to find out knowledge. Science could be changed by different
experiments of scientists. However, he did not seem to be aware of scientific methods
scientists’ cooperation in the experiments.
S10, who liked to cooperate with friends in biology study,
understood that the new knowledge, such as new theories, were accepted through
[many] scientists’ argument and conclusion. Scientific knowledge could be changed
because the old knowledge was reinterpreted by using different method and new
techniques. However, he did not appear to focus on using scientific method to find
out the new knowledge.
S11, the student who usually studied biology by herself and
seriously respected to the teacher, thought that knowledge would not be changed if it