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A Resources Interpretation of Teachers' Epistemologies of Science

Abstract

Teachers' epistemologies of science are explored as they emerge during the course of an authentic laboratory research experience. Using a resources framework as an interpretive lens, we find that teachers develop epistemological resources for the nature of science while conducting authentic research and participating in conversations in which epistemic discourse about the nature of science is facilitated. However, stability of these epistemological resources and the contexts in which they are activated vary across individuals. Here we describe a sample of the resources along with some contexts in which they are and are not activated.