Due to time constraints, most courses for pre-service and in-service teachers do not cover all of the concepts included at the undergraduate level of the Understanding Science conceptual framework. This list provides a “top twenty” subset of concepts that should be the focus of instruction at this level.

What is science?

• Science is both a body of knowledge and the process for building that knowledge.
• Science aims to build increasingly broad and coherent explanations of the natural world.
• Science works only with testable ideas.
• Scientists strive to test their idea with evidence from the natural world; a hallmark of science is exposing ideas to testing.
• Scientific knowledge is open to question and revision as new ideas surface and new evidence is discovered.

How science works

• The real process of science is complex, iterative, and can take many different paths.
• Scientists test their ideas (hypotheses and theories) by figuring out what expectations are generated by an idea and making observations to find out whether those expectations are borne out.
• Scientists use multiple research methods (experiments, observational research, computational, comparative research, and modeling) to collect data.
• Scientists look for patterns in their observations and data.
• Different scientists may interpret the same data in different ways; data interpretation can be influenced by a scientist’s assumptions, biases, and background.
• Accepted scientific theories are not tenuous; they must survive rigorous testing and be supported by multiple lines of evidence to be accepted.

The social side of science

• Science depends on communication within the scientific community.
• Scientists usually work collaboratively.
• Scientists scrutinize each other’s work through peer review and other processes.
• The scientific community is global and diverse.
• Anyone can participate in science, but the pursuit of science as a career often requires extensive formal training.
• Scientists are creative.

What has science done for you lately?

• Science builds knowledge about the world but people decide how that knowledge should be used.
• Scientific knowledge helps us make decisions that affect our lives every day.

A scientific approach to life

• Problem-solving and decision-making benefit from a scientific approach.