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Evolving Nature of Objectivity in the History of Science and its Implications for Science Education pp 125–143Cite as

Understanding Objectivity in Research Reported in Reference Works

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Part of the book series: Contemporary Trends and Issues in Science Education ((CTISE,volume 46))

Abstract

This chapter is based on the evaluation of research in two reference works: (a) International Handbook of Research in History, Philosophy and Science Teaching (HPST); and (b) Encyclopedia of Science Education (ESE). Based on a website search with the key word “objectivity,” 8 articles in the HPST and 12 articles in ESE referred to some form of objectivity and were classified according to the following criteria: Levels I–V (same as presented in Chap. 3). Results obtained showed the following distribution of the 20 articles evaluated in the two reference works: Level I = none, Level II = 10, Level III = 7, Level IV = 3, and Level V = none. Only 15% (3 out of 20) of the articles were considered to have an understanding of objectivity that approximated to its historical evolution. One of the articles referred to the work of Daston and Galison on objectivity and none mentioned “trained judgment.” There is some consensus that mathematical propositions are not empirically falsifiable and thus possess the absolute certainty of analytical statements or logical truths. One article has questioned this role of mathematical propositions as many advanced sciences are very much like mathematics in their conceptual apparatus, as can be illustrated with relativity and string theory. Radical constructivism was promoted by science educators who were dissatisfied with objectivism, namely scientific knowledge as an accurate depiction of physical reality.

This chapter reports the evaluation of research reported in the following reference works: (a) International Handbook of Research in History, Philosophy and Science Teaching (Editor: M.R. Matthews, Springer, 2014a); and (b) Encyclopedia of Science Education (Editor: R. Gunstone, Springer, 2015).

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  1. Epistemology of Science Group, Department of Chemistry, Universidad de Oriente, Cumaná, Sucre, Venezuela

    Prof. Mansoor Niaz

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  1. Prof. Mansoor Niaz
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Correspondence to Mansoor Niaz .

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Niaz, M. (2018). Understanding Objectivity in Research Reported in Reference Works. In: Evolving Nature of Objectivity in the History of Science and its Implications for Science Education. Contemporary Trends and Issues in Science Education, vol 46. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67726-2_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67726-2_5

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-67725-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-67726-2

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