Assumptions Held by Higher-Level Students Regarding Introductory Subjects on Scientific Knowledge. Understanding the Representations to Enrich Education Strategies
Keywords:
philosophy of science, higher-education students, science perceptionAbstract
Most higher-education curricula include philosophy of science introductory courses (IFC, due to its initials in Spanish). The question regarding their presence is not merely cognitive or educational; it aims at the knowledge hierarchy and our society’s assumptions with respect to science. This paper is based on a survey given to students following different higher-education and university degrees in the city of Rio Gallegos, Argentina. Its closed section focuses on identifying whether the students’ representation of science is traditional (positivist) or follows more contemporary leanings. Its open section enquires into how they value the inclusion of these courses in their curriculum. This paper focuses on the latter. The interpretation categories were created by the research team as the answers were being analyzed. The results show that an epistemological value predominates, followed by instrumental, propaedeutic and critical values. However, this order does not match the relevance the students attribute to each category for their own career. These results show the need to change the epistemological perspectives from which philosophy of science introductory courses are proposed.Downloads
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