ASTRONOMY WORKSHOPS AND THE NATURE OF SCIENCE KNOWLEDGE Haydée Santilli & Susana Boudemont Facultad de Ingeniería Universidad de Buenos Aires IHPST Ninth International History, Philosophy & Science Teaching Conference June 2007 Instituto de Astronomía y Física del Espacio CONICET - UBA

Astronomy and the nature of science èThe analysis of astronomer’s work allow students to perceive the way in which the scientist built the scientific knowledge èAstronomers use complex technologies, which are very interesting for students. The theoretical frame of these technologies is far from student knowledge, the teachers must be careful to allow students to understand these technologies èHistory of science could help students to find the relationship between astronomer work and the nature of science èAstronomy topics allow the introduction of outstanding scientific knowledge, different ways of scientific work, new technologies and data analysis, and interpretation systems Initial supposition When students understand the nature of science, they could understand better the scientific contents

IAFE (INSTITUTE OF ASTRONOMY AND SPACE PHYSICS) - (CONICET-UBA) ? How do astronomers work in Argentina today? Hubble

Workshop Characteristics The workshops are intended for high school and university introductory course students Student goals: èTo get better vocation choices èTo understand astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology topics èTo comprehend the way of researching these topics èTo be in touch with researchers èTo be aware of current science

Research Methodology èQualitative, holistic and interpretative approach èThe data analysis emerge from the student answers to open inquiries èStudent characteristics: vtheir ages fluctuate between fifteen and nineteen vthey have pre-scientific and little assimilated scientific knowledge èThe data were analysed associating each student idea to a category. It was used a qualitative software called NUDIST èTriangulation: vby the instrument (different questions of the inquiry aimed at the same subject) vby the investigator

Emerged Categories Scientific Research Projects Methodology Material things Scientists’ way of work Profession Society Scientific explanations Laws and theories Students’ science vision

Student Sayings S1: We could learn the stellar phenomena or the astronomical ones by using physical explanations. S2: The participation of everybody at the workshops allow us to deduce by ourselves some of the laws that rule the universe. Moreover when we learn astronomy, we could understand how science works: scientists begin stating a hypothesis and then they try to prove it. S3: Cosmology for understanding how man gets knowledge from the beginning of science. We could understand in which way man’s ideas about cosmos have been changing.

Some Conclusions Student commitment èThey asked for formal testing and for being accepted as student assistant for the scientists èThey did a number of suggestions for improving the workshops Nature of science knowledge èStudents could understand the way how is science built today, recognizing its a day by day growth. It is an approach to the scientific working way  They present just a few inductivist ideas èThey are concerned about the social aspects of scientific work

Students recognize science, as a human built, it is an image of science less accurate than the fictional usual view that textbooks and science teachers often offer Scientific content understanding Vocation choice Thanks for your attention