Students’ views of uncertainty in formal and personal science

Background: Uncertainty is a crucial element of scientific knowledge growth. Students should have some understanding of how science knowledge is developed and why scientific conclusions are considered more or less certain than others. A component of the nature of science, it is considered an important aspect of science education and allows students to recognize the limitations of scientific research.Purpose: This study examined Grades 5 and 9 students’ views of uncertainty in their personal scientific research and the formal scientific research of professionals.Sample: This study included 33 students in Grade 5 (n = 17) and Grade 9 (n = 16). The students were recruited from a charter school that emphasised inquiry instruction.Design and methods: Data were collected through interviews. Students were asked their views of their inquiry-based projects and their views of professional science.Results: Interview data and statistical analyses indicated that students recognized uncertainty in personal scie...