The enhancement of student concept attainment and student attitude towards science through the integration of history and philosophy of science in teaching mechanics

• Main Author: Morales, Marie Paz S. Escaño
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2003
• Subjects: Students > Attitudes; Science > Study and teaching; Physics; Instructional systems
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/3124
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study determines the efficacy of integrating History and Philosophy of Science in teaching Mechanics. It focuses on establishing the success of the integration of History and Philosophy of Science in teaching mechanics on the concept enhancement of anchoring conceptions and conceptual change of alternative conceptions which are the main objectives of concept attainment. It also leads to the enhancement of student attitude towards science and physics in particular. The study also presents session plans which introduce the process of integrating History and Philosophy of Science in the teaching of selected topics in mechanics. The session plans also comes with different activities that presents different scientists. It features how history, scientists and philosophers are capable of enhancing teaching and learning in the modern times. Significant outcomes of the study are: (1) better or higher performance level of the students, (2) enhanced student attitude towards science and physics in particular which also leads to better achievement level in mechanics, (3) new impression on History and Philosophy getting rid of the memorization connotation of the subject matter, (4) better ways of anticipating the preconceptions of students which leads to better and more efficient ways of remediating them, and (5) new ways of teaching scientists. Further, the study on the integration of History and Philosophy of Science in teaching the physics opened research paths leading to the integration of History and Philosophy of Science in teaching different sciences such as chemistry, biology, geology and others.