Hermeneutics and science education: An introduction

Abstract

This paper is a programmatic sketch of a line of theoretical investigation in the philosophy of science education. The basic idea is that philosophical hermeneutics is an appropriate framework for science education in most of its aspects. A brief discussion is given of hermeneutics in general, of the version of it developed by H. G. Gadamer, and of the reasons for its relevance to science and to the problem of meaning in science education. A key element in this approach is the suggestion that each science be biewed as a language. Arguments against the appropriateness of hermeneutics to natural science are also discussed. One application of the theory to ongoing educational research - 'misconceptions' - is specifically treated. © 1992 Kluwer Academic Publishers.