Everyday Thoughts about Nature: A Worldview Investigation of Important Concepts Students Use to Make Sense of Nature with Specific Attention of Science. This item is unavailable.Everyday Thoughts about Nature: A Worldview Investigation of Important Concepts Students Use to Make Sense of Nature with Specific Attention of Science

Dr. Olcbee Lee SchoolofEducation, UniversityofMiami Coral Gables, Florida 33124 I remember my excitement and appreciation several years ago when I first read World View Theory and Science Education Research by Bill Cobern (1991). It was a comprehensive, theoretical discussion ofworldview theory in science education. I am delighted to see that Cobern has taken the next step to provide empirical accountsofworldview in Everyday Thoughts about Nature. . The primary goal of the book is to understand how typical- ninth grade students and their science teachers think about Nature or the natural world, and how their thoughts are related to science. In pursuing this goal, the book raises a basicquestion about the purpose ofscienceeducationfor the public: Should science education seek to educate "scientific thinkers" in the pattern of the science teachers? Or, should science education seek to foster sound science learning within the matrices ofvari­ ous cultural perspectives? (p. 3) The answer to this question becomes clear, thanks to Cobern's excellent research and persuasivearguments. First, this research takes a humanistic approach in understanding what students and teachers think about Nature "through the language and ideas voluntarily expressed" (p. I). The research used multi­ directional prompts and encouraged students and teachers to speak freely and at length in any directions they wished. This humanistic approach is stated clearly: "[T]he research seeks to illuminate some of the various ways in which students think aboutNature withoutjudging eventhe most unorthodox perspectives" (p. 14).

The primary goal of "Everday Thoughts About Nature" is to understand how typical ninth-grade students and their science teachers think about nature or the natural world, and how their thoughts are related to science. In pursuing this goal, the book raises a basic question about the purpose of science education for the public. Should science education seek to educate 'scientific thinkers' in the pattern of science teachers? Or, should science education seek to foster sound science learning within the matrices of various cultural perspectives? By carefully examining the ideas about Nature held by a group of students and their science teachers, Cobern argues that the purpose of science education for the public is 'to foster sound science learning within the matrices of various cultural perspectives'.Cobern's two books, "World View Theory" and "Science Education Research" and now "Everyday Thoughts about Nature", provide complementary accounts of theoretical and empirical foundations for worldview theory in science education. While many graduate students and researchers have benefited from his earlier work, many more will continue to benefit from this book.