Looking back at "our science" and "our history": an exploration of Korean preservice science teachers' encounters with East Asian history of science
Looking back at "our science" and "our history": an exploration of Korean preservice science teachers' encounters with East Asian history of science
Despite the long-standing interest among science educators in using history of science in science teaching, little has been discussed around whether and how non-Western histories of science could be incorporated into science education. This study considers some opportunities and challenges of addressing East Asian history of science (EAHOS) in the science teacher education context, drawing on postcolonial science studies and global history of science. Eight undergraduate preservice science teachers (PSTs) participated in sessions on EAHOS. Our aim was to investigate the PSTs’ perceptions relating to the nature of EAHOS and its relevance to science teaching. Using interviews and reflective essays, we explore the tension coming from their dual positions as science teachers and East Asian people as they entered into the unfamiliar territory of EAHOS. When they were considering themselves specifically as science teachers, they tended to focus on the aspects of EAHOS as knowledge and concluded that it has little to do with achieving the aims of science teaching because is not part of modern science. On the contrary, when they were talking about their roles as teachers in general, they were able to come up with several educational benefits that EAHOS can offer to students, particularly in its relation to worldview and history. Additionally, several mixed feelings were expressed about the way EAHOS is often portrayed as “our” history about “our” science. Overall, the experience of exploring and discussing EAHOS provided the PSTs with an opportunity to critically reflect on science education and their responsibility as teachers in the context of broader society and culture.
East Asia, Global history of science, History of science, Non-western science, Science teacher education
355-381
Park, Wonyong
eae3796e-fc99-43ba-98be-53ea5bdb14fc
Song, Jinwoong
f29b2117-5711-4a0a-b607-b8a1921f44fc
June 2022
Park, Wonyong
eae3796e-fc99-43ba-98be-53ea5bdb14fc
Song, Jinwoong
f29b2117-5711-4a0a-b607-b8a1921f44fc
Park, Wonyong and Song, Jinwoong
(2022)
Looking back at "our science" and "our history": an exploration of Korean preservice science teachers' encounters with East Asian history of science.
Cultural Studies of Science Education, 17 (2), .
(doi:10.1007/s11422-021-10060-w).
Abstract
Despite the long-standing interest among science educators in using history of science in science teaching, little has been discussed around whether and how non-Western histories of science could be incorporated into science education. This study considers some opportunities and challenges of addressing East Asian history of science (EAHOS) in the science teacher education context, drawing on postcolonial science studies and global history of science. Eight undergraduate preservice science teachers (PSTs) participated in sessions on EAHOS. Our aim was to investigate the PSTs’ perceptions relating to the nature of EAHOS and its relevance to science teaching. Using interviews and reflective essays, we explore the tension coming from their dual positions as science teachers and East Asian people as they entered into the unfamiliar territory of EAHOS. When they were considering themselves specifically as science teachers, they tended to focus on the aspects of EAHOS as knowledge and concluded that it has little to do with achieving the aims of science teaching because is not part of modern science. On the contrary, when they were talking about their roles as teachers in general, they were able to come up with several educational benefits that EAHOS can offer to students, particularly in its relation to worldview and history. Additionally, several mixed feelings were expressed about the way EAHOS is often portrayed as “our” history about “our” science. Overall, the experience of exploring and discussing EAHOS provided the PSTs with an opportunity to critically reflect on science education and their responsibility as teachers in the context of broader society and culture.
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Park-Song2021_Article_LookingBackAtOurScienceAndOurH
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Accepted/In Press date: 17 March 2021
e-pub ahead of print date: 22 July 2021
Published date: June 2022
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Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, The Author(s).
Copyright:
Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Keywords:
East Asia, Global history of science, History of science, Non-western science, Science teacher education
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Local EPrints ID: 453634
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/453634
ISSN: 1871-1502
PURE UUID: ebd32ba6-f17f-4d07-9325-1ba939f1f96c
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Date deposited: 20 Jan 2022 17:40
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 04:09
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Author:
Wonyong Park
Author:
Jinwoong Song
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