An Ideographic and Nomothetic Comprehension of the Nature of Science by Science Teachers

Abstract

Science teachers are interviewed about their ideas on the statement “What is this, science?” Teachers’ discourses are understood by means of a phenomenological reduction in the Husserlian perspective. Teachers and their discourses are understood in pre-reflections and in the perspectives of construction of knowledge and of the image of Science given by reflection. Convergence of discourses is forwarded after situation and ideographic comprehension have been reported. They are then grouped into categories which form nomothetic comprehension. The question posed initially “What is this, science?” is finally answered. The paper ends with a phenomenological profile of the teachers about the nature of Science and opens a perspective that would justify a constructivist mode in Physics and in Science teaching.