Our Epistemological Assumption... Don't Be Afraid!

e·pis·te·mol·o·gy

  [ih-pis-tuh-mol-uh-jee]

noun

a branch of philosophy that investigates the origin, nature, methods, and limits of human knowledge.

The form that science takes in the classroom reflects the epistemological assumptions of the teacher. For example, the "purpose - equipment - method - observations - conclusions" structure that has prevailed for the last century makes some huge assumptions. Some examples...

• Knowledge is "out there" just waiting to be "discovered."
• We can "discover" that knowledge simply by "observing nature" in a disciplined way.
• The learner has all of the other mental equipment required to "discover" knowledge.

Contrary to that model of science, may I propose another model? My colleagues and I have found this model much more plausible, and much more fruitful, both for us as teachers, and for the teenagers who are trying to learn.

"Science is not the study of nature.
Science is the study of human representations of nature." 

Let's consider Max Planck, for example. Planck had worked out a representation of light as a quantum with energy related to frequency. As a result, scientists all over the world were studying this representation: is this a good representation? can it be true in all cases? does it have a more complex structure? does it need adjusting? Note that the scientists are twiddling the representation, and then testing the representation against experimental evidence.

Consider Niels Bohr: the act of actually observing the hydrogen spectrum was trivial. But now, Bohr was able to represent the hydrogen spectrum as a quantum structure. Perhaps he could represent the atom as a quantum structure, since they were related. Bohr re-represented the planetary model of the atom with quantum concepts, and modified the representation of the hydrogen atom. Note that he did not "discover" the Bohr atom. He created it.

We can involve students in the very heart of science by having them make representations of nature, test their representations of nature, and refine their representations. As they become familiar with this method, they become less afraid, more confident. As learners, all they have to do is refine their representations. It's not that different from refining their drawings of a horse or a car.