1. The
Nature
of
Science
Fernando Espinoza
Integrating
Historical,
Philosophical,
and Sociological
Perspectives
TheNatureofScienceEspinoza
Rowman&
Littlefield
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Education • Science
“Fernando Espinoza writes in an accessible manner that invites deep thinking through
thought-provoking questions in the items for reflection section at the end of each chapter.
The book traces the history of science from the ancients to modern day and focuses on
why we know what we know. He ties together important elements in science, starting
with history and moving to philosophy.” —Erica M. Brownstein, Capital University
“A significant goal of modern science education, and also one of our major challenges,
is to enhance students’ understanding of the nature of science. Espinoza presents a
novel and comprehensive perspective on this topic in a sophisticated, multidisciplinary
perspective that is practical and timely, suitable for a broad audience of science educa-
tors or anyone interested in a liberally informed perspective on how scientists think and
do their work.” —O. R. Anderson, Teachers College, Columbia University
“This book offers a timely reminder of the tremendous advance in and limitations of sci-
ence’s grasp of reality. Fernando Espinoza shows how the teaching of science needs
to be aware of the historical, philosophical, and sociological contexts of scientific
practice. Especially informative is the author’s discussion of how to understand the role
of mathematics in modern science’s encounter with the world. The book will serve as
a useful guide for science teachers.” —William E. Carroll, University of Oxford
The role of science, along with its nature and development, is commonly misunder-
stood. Fernando Espinoza shines light on these misconceptions to give readers a deeper
understanding of science and its effect and influence upon society through historical,
philosophical, and sociological perspectives. This book incorporates mandates from the
National Research Council, National Science Teachers Association, and others and is
a useful text for required courses of general education majors.
Fernando Espinoza is associate professor of chemistry and physics and
director of graduate education programs at the School of Education at SUNY College at
Old Westbury. He is also on the faculty of Physics and Astronomy at Hofstra University.
For orders and information please contact the publisher
Rowman Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
A wholly owned subsidiary of
The Rowman Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200
Lanham, Maryland 20706
1-800-462-6420
www.rowmanlittlefield.com
Cover design by Neil D. Cotterill