Seoung-Hey Paik

This study investigated the impact of teaching materials developed using the reconceptualized family resemblance approach to the nature of science ( RFN ) on pre-service chemistry teachers views about the nature of science ( NOS ). The materials were based on the book Leviathan and the Air-Pump: Hobbes, Boyle, and the Experimental Life by Shapin and Schaffer (1985), which covers various aspects of NOS emphasized by the RFN . The pre-service teachers underwent 15 weeks of constructivist learning, including lectures, discussions, and essay writing, and their understanding of NOS was evaluated using a pre- and post-test. The results revealed changes in their understanding of NOS , particularly in the social aspects of science. This study is significant in shedding light on the specific challenges that participants encountered when grappling with the idea of science as a social and institutional system.