Entangled views: Prospective Teachers’ Conceptions about Nature of Science

Developing an understanding of the Nature of Science, scientific inquiry along with an understanding of the utility of that knowledge to individual and society in science education characterizes the conceptual foundation for a scientific literate individual. The purpose of the present study is to assess the understanding of NOS among prospective teachers enrolled in a four-year undergraduate pre-service teacher education programme. The aspects of NOS included in the study are the empirical, tentative, subjective (theory-laden), imaginative and creative, and social and cultural NOS, distinction between observation and inference and relationship between scientific theories and laws. Through examples of classroom experiences, it is argued that a comprehensive understanding of NOS aspects can be developed among prospective teachers using an explicit, reflective approach.