Help students grasp the evolving nature of science
Students are expected to understand that scientific knowledge develops based on new evidence – here are four ways to illustrate how science advances
KS3 students are expected to ‘understand that scientific methods and theories develop as earlier explanations are modified to take account of new evidence and ideas, together with the importance of publishing results and peer review’. But despite this long history, talk in classrooms has often centered on talk about ‘facts’ and ‘truth’: in response to students’ incessant questions I have heard many exasperated teachers fall back on ‘it’s just a scientific fact’. And this is becoming increasingly necessary as curriculum time is being squeezed by an ever increasing number of ‘facts’ on specifications!
So, how can we help 11-14 year-old students grasp this tentative, revolutionary science, without compromising their ability to learn the ‘facts’?
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