Notes: Nature & Structure of Sciences | Science & Pedagogy Paper 2 for CTET & TET Exams - CTET & State TET PDF Download

Teaching science at the primary, middle, and secondary levels involves helping students grasp the concepts of science, fostering a scientific mindset, and educating them about the role of science in their daily lives.

The word ‘Science’ is derived from the Latin word ‘Scientia’, meaning knowledge. Science has been defined in various ways:

• Knowledge Gained Systematically: Science is the knowledge gained in a systematic way.
• Integration of General Knowledge: Science integrates general knowledge.
• Collection of True Facts: Science is a collection of true facts.

Great thinkers and philosophers have provided different perspectives on science:

• BF Skinner: "Science is first of all a set of attitudes. It is a disposition to deal with facts rather than what someone has said about."
• Albert Einstein: "Science searches for relations which are thought to exist independently of the searching individual."
• Modern Definition: "Science is a cumulative and endless series of empirical observations, which results in the formation of concepts and theories. Both concepts and theories are subject to modification in the light of further empirical observations. Science is both a body of knowledge and the process of acquiring and refining that knowledge."

Nature of Science

Human beings have always been curious to understand the mysteries around them. Science is the ability of humans to comprehend nature and gain control over it. The intelligence of humans has led to the discovery of many facts related to events, processes, and phenomena.

• Factual Basis: Science is based on facts. Various methodologies are used to discover and analyze facts, known as scientific methods.
• Analysis of Facts: In scientific studies, facts are analyzed to uncover the actual truth behind any phenomenon or process.

Science and Experimentation

To test hypotheses, we design specific experiments and collect data. Science uncovers facts based on data from these planned experiments, which are analyzed scientifically. The tools and methods used in science are inherently scientific, enabling us to view concepts from a scientific perspective and dispel myths.

A scientist or any student of science displays a scientific aptitude and mindset through their personality and approach.

Basic Characteristics of Science

Science relies on both logic and imagination. All theories and hypotheses begin with imagination, and their validity is tested through scientific methods, yielding facts based on logical thinking. Key characteristics of science include:

• Science is dynamic, continually seeking new information and refining existing knowledge.
• Scientific methods can unravel mysteries.
• Science avoids biases and bases conclusions on logical reasoning.
• As a social enterprise, science can be beneficial or harmful, depending on how it is used by those in power.
• Scientific knowledge is incredible and durable, continually growing with new discoveries.
• Ethical norms are essential in the use of scientific knowledge.
• Science has been beneficial to humankind, aiding in power generation, information management, communication, and controlling epidemics and natural disasters.

Important Components of Science

Science unravels facts through the following components:

• Facts: These are true things that exist around us.
• Hypotheses: Educated guesses based on observations, tested through experiments.
• Data: Numerical representations of facts collected from experiments designed around hypotheses.
• Natural Laws: Phenomenal theories discovered through empirical generalization of data, confirmed and verified by arguments and factual statements.
• Theories: Well-substantiated explanations of some aspects of the natural world, incorporating facts, laws, inferences, and tested hypotheses. Theories explain how laws work, are based on lines of evidence, enable valid predictions, and have been scientifically tested in many ways.

Scientific Law vs. Theory

Sonleiter (1989) explains that theories and laws are qualitatively different in their nature and function. Laws are generalizations about phenomena, while theories are explanations of phenomena. They are not distinguished by their degree of verification.

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles offers students opportunities to understand the distinct roles and contributions of laws and theories, and to question preconceived notions about these and other related issues in the nature of science.

Various Branches of Science

Science encompasses various branches. Natural Science is based on natural facts, while Social Science relates to social activities. Basic science is divided into two main branches:

• Physical Science: Studies non-living material, including branches like Physics and Chemistry.
• Life Science: Studies living matter, including animals, plants, and microbes.

Recent Well-Known Branches of Science

• Alternate sources of energy
• Water source management
• Superconductivity, superfluidity, and low-temperature phenomena
• Plasma physics and plasma diagnostic techniques
• Holography and optical information processing
• Applied optics
• Fusion reactors
• Thermonuclear energy production
• Fibre optics communication technology
• Laser engineering
• Material science - development of non-load bearing and load bearing materials
• Middle atmosphere studies
• Photonics and its applications
• Molecular structure and dynamics
• Solid surfaces and catalysis
• Coordination chemistry and organometallic chemistry
• Polymers
• Textile industry
• Packing and processing industry
• Petroleum processing
• Production of synthetic detergents, adhesives, chemicals, and fertilizers
• Photochemistry
• Water treatment and purification
• Coordination of drugs, EDTA therapy, etc.
• Development of supercomputers
• Development of cryogenic rockets
• Space science technology
• Erosion and pollution control
• Electroplating

Science Curriculum

According to the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) 2005, good science education should be:

• True to Children: The science content should be understandable, meaningful, and enjoyable for children.
• True to Life: The science taught should relate to their environment, prepare them for the world of work, and address concerns about sustainable development and environmental conservation.
• True to Science: The content should reflect important aspects of science at appropriate levels, engaging children in learning and the process of acquiring and validating scientific knowledge.

Curriculum Designing

The ideal science curriculum should have the following validities as per the NCF-2005:

Cognitive Validity

• The science taught should be understandable and provide meaningful, joyful learning.
• It should prepare children for the world of work, focusing on life skills and environmental conservation.
• The content should be suitable at different educational levels.
• At the upper primary stage, the curriculum should be age-appropriate and within students' understanding, promoting character building through classroom activities.

Content Validity

• The curriculum should be age-appropriate and within the subject reach of the child.
• It must provide accurate scientific information simply, discarding incorrect, meaningless, or misleading content.
• The teaching methodology should emphasize learning to learn science, simplifying complex content to make it easier to understand and connect to real-world contexts.

Process Validity

Teaching science should engage learners in understanding the methods and procedures that generate and validate scientific knowledge, increasing their curiosity and creativity.

Historic Validity

The historical aspects of the topic should be included, helping students understand the progression of scientific knowledge and the influence of social factors on science.

Environment Validity

The curriculum should consider the learner's environment, making students aware of issues related to science, technology, and society, and helping them connect with the content.

Ethical Validity

The curriculum should nurture values of honesty, objectivity, cooperation, and freedom from societal prejudices. Inclusive education should accommodate children of all abilities.

The State Council of Education/Research and Training (SCERT) is responsible for planning the curriculum at the state level.

Key Concepts

• Scientific Theory: An explanation inferred from multiple lines of evidence for a broad aspect of the natural world. It is logical, testable, and predictive. Theories may be revised with new evidence but are not speculative.
• Scientific Hypothesis: An inferred explanation of an observation or research finding, based on existing scientific knowledge and more exploratory than a theory.
• Scientific Law: An expression of a mathematical or descriptive relationship observed in nature, with predictive power.