We begin the chapter with an elaboration on science as a way of knowing, sketching the goals of the enterprise, the nature and structure of scientific knowledge, and the process by which it is constructed. Schauble and colleagues (1995), for example, found that fifth grade students designed better experiments after instruction about the purpose of experimentation. Viewing these processes from a distance-not merely enacting them-enhances studentsвЂ™ ability to practice science. That is, if students come to see science as a set of practices that builds models to account for patterns of evidence in the natural world, and that what counts as evidence is contingent on making careful observations and building arguments, then they will have greater success in their efforts to build knowledge. That is, citizens who understand how scientific knowledge is produced will be careful consumers of scientific claims about public scientific issues (e.g., global warming, ecology, genetically modified foods, alternative medicine) both at the ballot box and in their daily lives.ДЄ second justification among educators is that understanding the structure and nature of science makes one better at doing and learning science (see review by Sandoval, 2005).

One rationale that is often invoked, but not empirically tested, is that understanding science makes for a more informed citizenry and supports democratic participation. In this chapter we address how children come to understand both вЂњhow we knowвЂќ in science and вЂњwhy we believeвЂќ scientific evidence.ДЇor more than a century, educators have argued that students should understand how scientific knowledge is constructed (Rudolph, 2005). Stand how scientific knowledge is constructed. In addition, emerging research evidence suggests that studentsвЂ™ grasp of scientific explanations of the natural world and their ability to engage successfully in scientific investigations are advanced when they under. We view understanding of the nature and structure of scientific knowledge and the process by which it is developed as a worthy end in and of itself. We have elevated this focus to the status of a strand for several reasons. Our vision of K-8 science features this understanding as one of the four strands. One important underpinning for learning science is studentsвЂ™ understanding of the nature and structure of scientific knowledge and the process by which it is developed. Science is not only a body of knowledge, but also a way of knowing. However, more research is needed that provides insight into the experiences and conditions that facilitate their understanding of science as a way of knowing. Methods of science dominate the school science curriculum, with little emphasis on the role of theory, explanation, or models.Д¬hildrenвЂ™s understanding of science appears to be amenable to instruction. Most children do not develop a sophisticated understanding of how scientific knowledge is constructed. Most studies have been conducted in laboratory settings and do not take into account instructional history and childrenвЂ™s opportunity to learn about this aspect of science. The research base on childrenвЂ™s understanding of how scientific knowledge is constructed is limited. Understanding How Scientific Knowledge Is Constructed

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