Exploring the nature of science and provision of some strategies that science teachers can use to enhance their teaching skills when they teach science subjects.

1. THE NATURE AND TEACHING OF SCIENCE IN
SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLS.
Presented by: Andile Buthelezi

2. What is Science ?
• In your own view....
• What do you think science entails?
• Can scientific theories change over time?
• Do you think science is an opposition of
God's will?

4. Science revolves
around evidence
gained through
investigations by
means of
experiments and
observations.

5. Steps involved in a scientific investigation

6. Can scientific theories change ?
• YES! OFCOURSE THEY CAN CHANGE.
• Remember that science is based on evidence
and so if new studies prove new things,
existing scientific theories fade away.
• For instance, Lamarcks' theory of evolution has
been proven wrong by many evolutionary
theories including Darwins' theory.

7. What is then the Nature Of Science
?
• Nature Of Science(NOS) refers to science as
a way of knowing, it includes the beliefs and
values inherent to scientific knowledge and
science process.
• In other words, when we talk about NOS we
are referring to the characteristics, values and
assumptions in which sceintific knowledge is
based on and how scientific knowledge
develops.

8. Why is NOS important in South African Classroom
context?

9. How can teachers enhance their
pedagogies when teaching science ?
1. DEMONSTRATIONS.
Teachers should use virtual
teaching aids, for instance when
teaching skeletal anatomy it would
be wise to bring a skeletal model.

10. 2. EXPERIMENTS.
Teachers should conduct simple
experiments for defining major
concepts/laws such as gravity, newtons'
laws of motion etc.

11. 3. AUTHENTIC LEARNING.
Teachers should link content
knowledge to real-world situations,
they should use things which are
easily accessible to learners when
they are teaching. Science may
become boring if a student is not
shown the connection between
theory and practice.

15. References
Pointer, K. (2017). Scientific Inv and nature of science. Available from slideshare @:
https://www.slideshare.net/coachpointer/scientific-inv-and-nature-of-science?qid=dae426a3-f385-
4d0b-a87a-2f3a7dc57ec1&v=&b=&from_search=6
Witt, K. (2014). The nature of science. Available from Slideshare @:
https://www.slideshare.net/timrek/the-36113960?qid=aef2f149-010b-4d12-9c22-
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Elise, H. (2018). Instructional materials by Mr. Jay Windel A. Calaluan. Available from Slideshare @:
https://www.slideshare.net/mushthart/instructional-materials-by-mr-jay-windel-a-
calaluan?qid=f472c4d3-d2ad-4406-92e4-1819c2c2d2f3&v=&b=&from_search=6
Bush, C.(2009). The nature of Science. Available from Slideshare @:
https://www.slideshare.net/bushc/nature-of-science?qid=a36b74b5-39df-4c00-a4c9-
f02c6d3e2089&v=&b=&from_search=14
Casey, D. (2012). The nature of Science.Virginia science standards institute. Available from google
at: https://www.vmnh.net/content/File/VSSI_1_2012/nospresentation72112.pdf