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Building Connections to Teach the Nature of Science: An Experienced Science Teacher's Formative Assessment Practices in a High School Classroom

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Title: Building Connections to Teach the Nature of Science: An Experienced Science Teacher's Formative Assessment Practices in a High School Classroom
Language: English
Authors: Wonyong Park (ORCID 0000-0002-8911-5968), Sibel Erduran, Judith Hillier
Source: Journal of Research in Science Teaching. 2026 63(2):161-185.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 25
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools
Secondary Education
Grade 10
Descriptors: Scientific Principles, Science Teachers, High School Teachers, Formative Evaluation, Experienced Teachers, Science Instruction, Reflective Teaching, Grade 10, Secondary School Science, Foreign Countries
Geographic Terms: South Korea
DOI: 10.1002/tea.70029
ISSN: 0022-4308
1098-2736
Abstract: While understanding the nature of science (NOS) is recognized as a key component of science education because of its potential benefits in nurturing scientific literacy, there is currently limited knowledge on how NOS learning can be supported by teachers' ongoing, in-the-moment assessment in the classroom. This study explores the value of formative assessment as a vehicle to facilitate reflective instruction of the NOS, through building connections between NOS and other related components of science learning. We closely examined one experienced science teacher's lessons on the development of scientific knowledge in a 10th grade science classroom, along with the teacher's post-lesson reflections and classroom artifacts, with a focus on how the teacher planned and orchestrated whole-class discussions following student group presentations. We identify four distinct strategies for formative assessment the teacher enacted in an effort to create "teachable moments" for NOS learning: multicontextualizing NOS, mapping examples to NOS, focusing discussion on NOS, and exploring different aspects of NOS. Across the lessons, while some teacher moves prompted discursive exchanges, others revealed significant challenges and were often met with student silence. Our work uses formative assessment as a lens to reveal the complexities and in-the-moment challenges of NOS instruction, illustrating how even an experienced teacher can struggle to facilitate these conversations. We argue that NOS research should pay more attention to the potential of formative assessment and the need for professional development to support teachers with empirically grounded assessment tasks for use in NOS instruction.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1495040
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Building Connections to Teach the Nature of Science: An Experienced Science Teacher's Formative Assessment Practices in a High School Classroom
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Wonyong+Park%22">Wonyong Park</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8911-5968">0000-0002-8911-5968</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Sibel+Erduran%22">Sibel Erduran</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Judith+Hillier%22">Judith Hillier</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Journal+of+Research+in+Science+Teaching%22"><i>Journal of Research in Science Teaching</i></searchLink>. 2026 63(2):161-185.
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 25
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22High+Schools%22">High Schools</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Grade+10%22">Grade 10</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Scientific+Principles%22">Scientific Principles</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Science+Teachers%22">Science Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22High+School+Teachers%22">High School Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Formative+Evaluation%22">Formative Evaluation</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Experienced+Teachers%22">Experienced Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Science+Instruction%22">Science Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Reflective+Teaching%22">Reflective Teaching</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grade+10%22">Grade 10</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Secondary+School+Science%22">Secondary School Science</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink>
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  Data: 10.1002/tea.70029
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  Data: 0022-4308<br />1098-2736
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  Data: While understanding the nature of science (NOS) is recognized as a key component of science education because of its potential benefits in nurturing scientific literacy, there is currently limited knowledge on how NOS learning can be supported by teachers' ongoing, in-the-moment assessment in the classroom. This study explores the value of formative assessment as a vehicle to facilitate reflective instruction of the NOS, through building connections between NOS and other related components of science learning. We closely examined one experienced science teacher's lessons on the development of scientific knowledge in a 10th grade science classroom, along with the teacher's post-lesson reflections and classroom artifacts, with a focus on how the teacher planned and orchestrated whole-class discussions following student group presentations. We identify four distinct strategies for formative assessment the teacher enacted in an effort to create "teachable moments" for NOS learning: multicontextualizing NOS, mapping examples to NOS, focusing discussion on NOS, and exploring different aspects of NOS. Across the lessons, while some teacher moves prompted discursive exchanges, others revealed significant challenges and were often met with student silence. Our work uses formative assessment as a lens to reveal the complexities and in-the-moment challenges of NOS instruction, illustrating how even an experienced teacher can struggle to facilitate these conversations. We argue that NOS research should pay more attention to the potential of formative assessment and the need for professional development to support teachers with empirically grounded assessment tasks for use in NOS instruction.
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      – SubjectFull: Secondary School Science
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
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      – SubjectFull: South Korea
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