Demythologizing Science Teacher Education: Conquering the False Ideal of Open Inquiry

Excerpt

Each of us holds onto various myth within our lives and careers. We might prefer not to acknowledge these, especially to ourselves. But mythology is a potent force in life and not only when we read fiction or watch movies. One example is the myth of “six degrees of separation” which alleges that any two people in the world can be connect through a short list of acquaintances. This principle, fostered by social psychologist Milgram (1967), investigated how people’s social networks could be used to forward a package to someone unknown to them. In one study, Nebraska participants (presumable as far as a Harvard/Yale professor could imagine to still be within the civilized world) were told to send a package to a designated person in Massachusetts. Rather than mail the package directly, people were to send the materials to a person they knew on a first name basis who would be likely to know the target person. At each step, the package would move closer to the desired recipient. To Milgram’s surprise, the median number of intermediating people, from sender to addressee, was five. What a comfort it would be, even though counter-intuitive for a large global population, to know that human beings are all connected to one another. However, despite the manner in which “six-degrees” has captured the public’s imagination, there is scant evidence to support this notion. …