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Scheffler Revisited on the Role of History and Philosophy of Science in Science Teacher Education

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Reason and Education

Abstract

Twenty-five years ago Israel Scheffler argued for the inclusion of philosophy of science in the preparation of science teachers. It was part of his wider argument for the inclusion of courses in the philosophy of the discipline in programmes that are preparing people to teach that discipline. For the most part Scheffler’s suggestion, at least as far as science education is concerned, went unheeded. Pleasingly, in recent times there has been some rapprochement between these fields. This paper will restate parts of Scheffler’s argument, it will develop some additional considerations pertaining to it, and it will set the discussion in the context of contemporary debate about science, science education and teacher training. With changed time and circumstances, Scheffler’s arguments might find more adherents than when they were initially proposed. My revision of Scheffler’s argument has two planks: first pedagogical, second professional.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education Studies, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia

    Michael R. Matthews

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  1. Michael R. Matthews
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, University of Miami, P.O. Box 248054, Coral Gables, FL, 33124, USA

    Harvey Siegel

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© 1997 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

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Matthews, M.R. (1997). Scheffler Revisited on the Role of History and Philosophy of Science in Science Teacher Education. In: Siegel, H. (eds) Reason and Education. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5714-8_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-5714-8_13

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-7923-4362-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-5714-8

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