Enhancing Epistemic Practices: Unveiling How Epistemically Complex Inquiry Can Shape Students' Understanding of Science Reliability

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Epistemic Agency, Inquiry, and Justice in Science Education (Table 29)

Abstract

Addressing science skepticism in schools requires emphasizing the reliability of science by centering inquiry on epistemic practices—the complex methods scientists use to establish reliable knowledge claims. Despite the importance of this approach, there is a lack of empirical data on its effectiveness in engaging students with the complexity of real-world scientific inquiry. To address this gap, we investigate how a group of ninth-grade biology students engaged in a curriculum modeled on Epistemically Complex Inquiry (ECI) to study a viral outbreak in a fictional town. Our analysis reveals that students actively utilized two key EPs—systematic evaluation of evidence and social critique—when designing experiments. Furthermore, they critically assessed biased predictions made by another group accurately, demonstrating an informed understanding of scientific reliability.

Authors

• Noora Fatima Noushad, University of Pennsylvania

• Susan A. Yoon, University of Pennsylvania

• Clark A. Chinn, Rutgers University

• Zhitong Yang, University of Pennsylvania

• Huma Hussain-Abidi, Rutgers University

• Kyle Hunkar