A study of progression in learning about ‘the nature of science’: issues of conceptualisation and methodology

This paper describes a study of progression of young people's understandings of ‘the nature of science’ from age 9 to age 16. The paper aims to problematise the notion of ‘progression in learning’, and to describe the methodology used in the study in the context of a range of possible methodologies for studying progression in learning science. Findings relating to young peoples’ characterisations of the nature of scientific knowledge and empirical enquiry are presented, and age‐related trends are discussed. A framework for considering students’ reasoning about aspects of ‘the nature of science’ is proposed. Finally, uses and limitations in the use of data from cross‐sectional studies on progression are considered.