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Models in explanations, Part 1: Horses for courses?
Abstract
This is the first of two papers which seeks to identify some of the issues associated with the role of models in scientific explanations. Starting from a broad definition, a typology of explanations is developed and the notion of ‘appropriateness’ in scientific explanations is explored. Some characteristics of explanations sought and provided for and by scientists, science curricula, teachers of science and students of science are identified. Finally, the nature of models and their contribution to explanations are explored. In Part 2 (Gilbert et al. 1998), the understandings generated from provided explanations are discussed, together with an appraisal of those explanations which are not commonly sought or attempted.
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Cited by
Teaching and physics education research: bridging the gap
Fraser, J. M., Timan, A. L., Miller, K., Dowd, J. E., Tucker, L., & Mazur, E. (2014) · Reports on Progress in Physics · doi:10.1088/0034-4885/77/3/032401 · Cited by 422
Wilson, C. D., Taylor, J. A., Kowalski, S. M., & Carlson, J. (2010) · Journal of Research in Science Teaching · doi:10.1002/tea.20329 · Cited by 339
Wittwer, J., & Renkl, A. (2008) · Educational Psychologist · doi:10.1080/00461520701756420 · Cited by 277
Systems Modelling and the Development of Coherent Understanding of Cell Biology
Verhoeff, R. P., Waarlo, A. J., & Boersma, K. T. (2008) · International Journal of Science Education · doi:10.1080/09500690701237780 · Cited by 176
Redox models in chemistry textbooks for the upper secondary school: friend or foe?
Österlund, L.-L., Berg, A., & Ekborg, M. (2010) · Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. · doi:10.1039/c005467b · Cited by 55
Metadata
- Authors
- Gilbert, J. K., Boulter, C., & Rutherford, M.
- Venue
- International Journal of Science Education
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 1998-01
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 83-97
- ISSN
- 0950-0693 (ISSN-L)
- 1464-5289
- OpenAlex
- W1996080961
- Cited by
- 327
- References
- 0
- FWCI
- 55.61
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
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Contains information from the Semantic Scholar Academic Graph Datasets, made available under the ODC Attribution License (ODC-BY 1.0).
Semantic Scholar’s data is described in: Kinney, R., et al. (2023). The Semantic Scholar Open Data Platform. arXiv:2301.10140.
