Scientific Attitudes Dr. Frank Jenkins Centre for Research in Youth Science Teaching and Learning

Frank Jenkins, CMASTE and CRYSTAL Alberta2 Scientific Attitudes scientific attitudes are predispositions (tendency, inclination, mental set or habit of mind) to think and act in a certain way—approaches that define “scientific” & “scientist” e.g., studied by Dr. Marshall Nay and James Kozlow in Secondary Education in the 1970s different from attitudes toward or about science (e.g., not, “I like (or don’t like) science.”) see and then Outreach, Scientific Reasoning Text and Scientific Attitudeswww.CRYSTALAlberta.ca

Frank Jenkins, CMASTE and CRYSTAL Alberta3 Scientific Attitudes (1-4) 1. critical mindedness (looks for consistency and challenges the validity of statements) 2. suspended judgment (recognizes the restricted nature of evidence and concepts) 3. respect for evidence (looks for evidence through an empirical approach) 4. honesty (reports all evidence and acknowledges the work of others)

Frank Jenkins, CMASTE and CRYSTAL Alberta4 Scientific Attitudes (5-8) 5. objectivity (considers pros and cons and all of the evidence available—unbiased) 6. willingness to change (alters hypotheses, assumptions, technologies and methods) 7. openmindedness (considers several possible alternatives when investigating) 8. questioning attitude (asks many questions: how, what, who, where, when and why?)

Frank Jenkins, CMASTE and CRYSTAL Alberta5 Other Scientific Attitudes 9. tolerance of uncertainty (rejection of certainty) curiosity looking to be creative appreciation for beauty appreciation for complexity appreciation of unity (synthesis of concepts) perseverance

Frank Jenkins, CMASTE and CRYSTAL Alberta6 Scientific Attitudes Scientific attitudes have been described as what is left after everything else has been forgotten; e.g., what is left from your chemistry, physics and biology courses. Scientific attitudes can be applied to many different parts of your life including, for example, democratic decisions, reading the newspaper, and discussions with friends.

Frank Jenkins, CMASTE and CRYSTAL Alberta7 Technological & Societal Technological Attitudes perseverance confidence in self critical mindedness creative disposition confidence in technological fixes appreciation for alternative perspectives Societal Attitudes tolerance commitment respect confidence vigilance appreciation understanding

Frank Jenkins, CMASTE and CRYSTAL Alberta8 Applying Scientific Attitudes Learning of concepts, such as scientific attitudes, generally go through the stages of awareness, understanding and action. Think of what action components might apply to: discussing the behaviour of a friend discussing climate change discussing health care discussing politics