Undergraduate science research projects and students - School of ...
Undergraduate science research projects and students - School of ...
Undergraduate science research projects and students - School of ...
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<strong>Undergraduate</strong> Learning in Science Project Working Paper 5Contents1 Introduction 71.1 Existing work on <strong>students</strong>’ images <strong>of</strong> <strong>science</strong> 81.2 Methodological focus <strong>of</strong> the study 112 Outline <strong>of</strong> the study 123 Students’ images <strong>of</strong> the nature <strong>of</strong> <strong>science</strong>: aquestion-by-question analysis 153.1 Question 1: How do scientists decide which questions to investigate 153.1.1 Curiosity led 153.1.2 Extending knowledge in a field 163.1.3 Utilitarian 163.1.4 Financial benefit 173.1.5 Discussion 193.2 Question 2: Why do scientists do experiments? 203.2.1 Types <strong>of</strong> ‘experiment’ 203.2.2 Why do scientists do experiments? 223.2.3 Discussion 243.3 Question 3: How can good scientific work be distinguished from badscientific work? 263.3.1 Procedural criteria 263.3.2 Critical approach to experimentation 263.3.3 A sceptical questioning approach to interpretation <strong>and</strong>explanation 283.3.4 Strategic aspects <strong>of</strong> a <strong>research</strong> programme 293.3.5 Relating work to other work in a field 293.3.6 Ethical criteria are involved in distinguishing good <strong>and</strong> bad<strong>science</strong> 303.3.7 Communication skills <strong>of</strong> good as opposed to bad scientists 313.3.8 Discussion 313.4 Question 4: Why do you think that some scientific work st<strong>and</strong>s thetest <strong>of</strong> time whilst other scientific work is forgotten? 323.4.1 Revolutionary breakthroughs 333.4.2 Coherent development <strong>of</strong> a field 343.4.3 The inherent quality <strong>of</strong> <strong>research</strong> 373.4.4 Research with practical benefits 373.4.5 Theories which are difficult to test 383.4.6 Discussion 383.5 Question 5: How are conflicts <strong>of</strong> ideas resolved in the scientificcommunity? 403.5.1 Why differences between scientists occur 403.5.2 How conflicts are resolved 423.5.3 Discussion 464