Foundations Of Science Education
- Education
- 800 level
- 3 credit units
- 133 pages
- 23 units
This course introduces the foundations of science education, exploring the history and philosophy that underpin effective science teaching. It examines the nature of science, branches of philosophy, and psychological, social, cultural, and political issues influencing science education. The course also covers modern philosophers' views, historical developments from ancient times to the 20th century, and the history of science education in Nigeria, aiming to enhance science teaching through a historical and philosophical lens.
About this course
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Study hours
- 156 hours
- Maths
- None
- Content
- Theoretical, case study, problem solving
- Practical work
- No
- Assignments
- Essays
- Final Examination
What you'll read
The real module and unit structure of SED811, taken from the course material NOUN publishes.
- UNIT 1: What is Science?
- UNIT 2: The Scientific World-View
- UNIT 3: Products of Science and Classification of Scientific Knowledge
- UNIT 4: Scientific Inquiry and Scientific Attitudes
- UNIT 5: Branches of Philosophy of Science
- UNIT 6: Ethics of Science
- UNIT 7: Science and Creativity
- UNIT 8: Equity and Science Learning
- UNIT 9: Analogy, Metaphor and Scientific Thinking
- UNIT 10: Constructivism
- UNIT 11: History of Science and the Psychology of Learning
- UNIT 12: Science Education and Scientific Literacy
- UNIT 13: Karl Popper (Philosophical Views)
- UNIT 14: The Philosophical Views of Thomas S. Kuhn
- UNIT 15: New Philosophers of Science: Lakatos, Bronowski, Toulmin and Feyerabend
- UNIT 16: The Human Face of Science, Scientists and Society, and Science and Politics
- UNIT 17: Science and History
- UNIT 18: Greek Science, Bacon, Copernicus and Galileo
- UNIT 19: Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution, the Periodic Table and the Computer
- UNIT 20 Newton's Classical Theory and Einstein's Relativity
- UNIT 21: History of Science Education in Nigeria (1)
- UNIT 22: History of Science Education in Nigeria (II)
- UNIT 23: Writing an Academic Paper
One paragraph, so you can see how it reads
SED811 · UNIT 1: What is Science?
To study History and Philosophy of Science, you should be able to explain what science is. Because of the role of science and technology in improving our lives, they have become everyday terms or words. In this unit you are going to study the meaning and other attributes of science.
What you should be able to do
- Define science and explain its basic assumptions.
- Describe the scientific world-view and compare it with other world-views.
- Explain the branches of philosophy of science and their relevance to science education.
- Describe scientific inquiry and scientific attitudes.
- Summarize the history of science from Greek times to the twentieth century.
- Outline the history of science education in Nigeria.
- Write a scholarly term paper on a topic related to the foundations of science education.
What it prepares you for
- Science Teacher
- Science Educator
- Curriculum Developer
- Educational Researcher
- Science Communicator
- Education
- Research
- Science Communication
- Policy Making
Where it gets hard
The units students slow down on, and what makes each one heavy.
- Course Guide
Unit 10: Constructivism
The abstract nature of epistemological and ontological commitments requires careful analysis and critical thinking.
- Course Guide
Unit 13: Karl Popper (Philosophical Views)
Understanding the nuances of falsification and its implications for scientific progress requires careful consideration of Popper's arguments.
A suggested way through it
13 weeks, about 30 hours in total. Yours will differ.
- Week 1Course Guide
Unit 1: What is Science? · 2 hours
Read the definition of science and identify its attributes.. Understand the basic assumptions of science.. Differentiate between realism and empiricism.. Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment 1.1.
- Week 2Course Guide
Unit 2: The Scientific World-view · 2 hours
Explain the meaning of world-view.. Describe humankind's relationship with nature.. State the scientific world-view.. Discuss the African world-view.. Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment 2.1.
- Week 3Course Guide
Unit 3: Products of Science and Classification of Scientific Knowledge · 2 hours
List the products of science.. Describe each component of the product of science.. Provide a hierarchy of the product of science.. Identify scientific knowledge as Declarative, Procedural, and Operational Knowledge.. Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment 3.1.
- Week 4Course Guide
Unit 4: Scientific Inquiry and Scientific Attitudes · 2 hours
Describe scientific inquiry.. Relate discovery, learning, and problem-solving to inquiry learning.. List components of scientific attitude.. Discuss the importance of developing positive scientific attitudes.. Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment 4.1.
- Week 5Course Guide
Unit 5: Branches of Philosophy of Science · 2 hours
Explain the philosophy of science.. State the branches of philosophy of science.. Describe the branches of philosophy of science and their relations.. State and evaluate philosophical theses in science for all Americans.. Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment 5.1.
- Week 6Course Guide
Unit 6: Ethics of Science · 2 hours
Explain ethics.. Discover how scientists apply ethics in their work.. Apply ethics to daily activities.. Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment 6.1.
- Week 7Course Guide
Unit 7: Science and Creativity · 2 hours
Define creativity.. State characteristics of a creative person.. List personality traits of highly creative persons.. Identify elements of creativity.. Discover how to encourage creativity.. Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment 7.1.
- Week 8Course Guide
Unit 8: Equity and Science Learning · 2 hours
Discover that some feminists see girls' reluctance to pursue science as a result of science being a discipline promoting objective, rational, and analytic behavior.. Provide information on performance in science in schools.. State reasons for disparities.. Recommend strategies for equity.. Describe the state of education in Africa.. Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment 8.1.
- Week 9Course Guide
Unit 9: Analogy, Metaphor and Scientific Thinking · 2 hours
Speak very figuratively.. Write scientific essays using metaphors.. Interpret sentences containing analogies correctly.. Explain abstract issues using models.. Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment 9.1.
- Week 10Course Guide
Unit 10: Constructivism · 2 hours
Explain constructivism.. Show that constructivism has many forms.. State the constructivist view of learning.. Describe implications of constructivism to science teaching.. Describe radical constructivism theory.. Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment 10.1.
- Week 11Course Guide
Unit 11: History of Science and Psychology of Learning · 2 hours
Discuss history of science and the psychology of learning.. Describe the work of Hewson and others on conceptual change.. Explain the contributions of cognitive psychologists like Piaget, Ausubel, Brunner, and Gagne to science teaching and learning.. Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment 11.1.
- Week 12Course Guide
Unit 12: Science Education and Scientific Literacy · 2 hours
Explain what science education means.. State the objectives of science education.. Write the definition of scientific literacy.. Discover who is a scientifically literate person.. Propose ways of implementing scientific literacy in the Nigerian society.. Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment 12.1.
Unit 13: Karl Popper (Philosophical Views) · 2 hours
Write about Popper's career.. Discover Popper's views on the nature of science.. Describe Popper's picture of the scientific method.. Defend Popper's work using specific examples.. Compare Popper's work with earlier philosophers.. Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment 13.1.
- Week 13Course Guide
Unit 14: The Philosophical Views of Thomas S. Kuhn · 2 hours
Write a brief report on Thomas Kuhn's career.. Explain how science develops as stated by Kuhn.. Define a scientific paradigm.. Distinguish between Kuhn's normal and revolutionary science.. Describe paradigm changes that revolutionized science.. Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment 14.1.
Unit 15: New Philosophers of Science: Lakatos, Bronowski, Toulmin and Feyerabend · 2 hours
Describe Lakatos' competing research programmes and their importance to science teaching.. Discuss Bronowski's view of science and its implication for science instruction.. Prepare an essay on Toulmin's 'post-modern' science theory.. Criticize Feyerabend's anarchistic conception of science.. Complete Tutor-Marked Assignment 15.1.
Preparing for the exam
- Review all Tutor-Marked Assignments (TMAs) and feedback to identify areas of weakness.
- Create concept maps linking key ideas from different units, especially Units 3-5 on products/processes of science and philosophy.
- Focus on understanding the core tenets of each philosopher discussed (Popper, Kuhn, Lakatos, etc.) rather than memorizing biographical details.
- Practice applying the different philosophical views to real-world science education scenarios.
- Pay close attention to the historical timeline of science education in Nigeria (Units 21-22) and key policy changes.
- Prepare summaries of each unit, focusing on key definitions, concepts, and examples.
- Allocate more study time to peak difficulty periods (Units 10 and 13) and seek clarification from your tutor if needed.
Questions students ask about this course
What is SED811 about?
This course introduces the foundations of science education, exploring the history and philosophy that underpin effective science teaching. It examines the nature of science, branches of philosophy, and psychological, social, cultural, and political issues influencing science education. The course also covers modern philosophers' views, historical developments from ancient times to the 20th century, and the history of science education in Nigeria, aiming to enhance science teaching through a historical and philosophical lens.
How many units does SED811 have?
SED811, Foundations Of Science Education, has 23 units across 1 module, over 133 pages of course material. You can read it one unit at a time.
How many credit units is SED811?
SED811 carries 3 credit units, at 800 level in Education.
Is SED811 hard?
SED811 is rated intermediate level, with no mathematical content. It is mostly theoretical, case study and problem solving work.
How long does SED811 take to study?
About 156 hours of study, spread across its 23 units.
How is SED811 assessed?
SED811 is assessed by Assignments, Essays and Final Examination.
What can I do with SED811?
Science Teacher, Science Educator, Curriculum Developer, Educational Researcher and Science Communicator.