Science education cannot be the mere acquisition of a body of content knowledge per se but should instead proactively engage students to possess a broader view and understanding of science, which takes into account the development of scientific knowledge as well as the fact that new evidence may subject certain scientific knowledge to revision. Other aspects such as the development of students’ scientific literacy as well as the appreciation that scientific knowledge can be applied to solve real-world problems should also be taken into consideration. All of these aforementioned aspects (amongst others) can be nicely encapsulated in the phrase Nature of Science which is simply abbreviated as NOS.
At the recent 2019 Biology IPSG, NOS was repeatedly mentioned and discussed at the various breakout sessions. As such, it was encouraging to see that there is indeed a concerted and overt attempt by teachers across various schools in meaningfully infusing NOS in the teaching and learning of Biology.
For a better understanding of what NOS actually entails, watch this animation which nicely explains what Nature of Science is.
You may also read this engaging online article from National Geographic Learning about the teaching of Nature of Science.
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