Undergraduate science research projects and students - School of ...

Undergraduate Learning in Science Project Working Paper 5Appendix A: Framework used for characterisation of students’ epistemologicaland sociological reasoning about scienceAabEPISTEMOLOGICAL DIMENSION: THE NATURE OF SCIENTIFICKNOWLEDGE CLAIMSKnowledge claims as description-No appreciation of theories and concepts as constructions. No clear separationbetween description and explanation.Knowledge claims as provable-Knowledge claims recognised as separate from data, and provable:(i)on empirical grounds:abMention of critical procedures for ensuring reliability of data, andhence the validity of conclusions;Mention of ‘critical experiments’ to distinguish between theories inthe classic sense.(ii)(iii)on social groundsRecognition of difficulty of absolute proofcKnowledge claims go beyond the data-Knowledge claims recognised as conjecture:(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)Social processes involved in evaluating theories;Empirical processes involved in evaluating theories;Both social and empirical processes involved in evaluating theories;No obvious basis for evaluating competing knowledge claims.Recognition of logical difficulty of absolute proof, as opposed to logicalpossibility of falsificationBabcEPISTEMOLOGICAL DIMENSION: THE NATURE OF LINES OFSCIENTIFIC ENQUIRYLocation in individual interests of scientists-Lines of enquiry are based solely on the personal interests of scientists.Internal location in epistemology of disciplineLines of enquiry are intellectually located - i.e. in terms of an ongoing processof generating ideas and questionsExternal locationLines of enquiry are socially located - i.e. in terms of questions of broad socialrelevance:83