Is Nature of Science Going, Going, Going, Gone?

Excerpt

At the 2012 ASTE International Meeting in Clearwater, Fl, Norman Lederman delivered a plenary address titled, “Nature of Science (NOS) Left Behind.” The title was a parody of “No Child Left Behind” and the address bemoaned his concern that the yet to be released Next Generation Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013) would omit or drastically decrease attention to NOS. After all, the construct was given little attention in Taking Science to School (NRC, 2007) and the subsequent A Framework for K-12 Science Education (NRC, 2012). However, there was still time to revive interest in NOS as the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) would not be released for another year. What better audience to hear concerns about the disappearance of NOS than the premier organization representing science teacher educators? Was the concern expressed by Lederman just rhetoric before lunch, or was it a foreshadowing of what was to come? …