Epistemic Growth in Students’ Understanding and Concern About Trust: A Practice-Oriented Approach to Learning Nature of Science

A limited understanding of science results in a reliance on trusting science experts on science-related issues. To avoid misplacing trust and to be empowered to make decisions related to science issues, students need to learn the nature of science (NOS). Questions such as “How does science work?”, “How do scientists reach conclusions?”, or “When should we be sceptical about science?’ serves as meaningful starting points for students’ learning of NOS. A practice-oriented approach to learning NOS that emphasizes the use of NOS understanding has been shown to support students’ evaluation of science-related issues. However, its impact on students’ epistemic growth beyond cognition remains underexplored. Contextualized within the Covid-19 pandemic in a lesson unit guided by a practice-oriented approach to NOS, this qualitative case study examines students’ growth in understanding and concern about trust in science. Here, 73 undergraduate students enrolled in a general education course on making sense of science-related social issues participated in this study. Reflective journals were used to chart participants’ epistemic growth. Findings revealed an increased understanding and concern related to trust and the use of NOS understanding. Challenges faced by participants and their responses to these challenges were identified. The chapter concludes by calling for a practice turn that goes beyond cold cognition and considers a warm trend to learning NOS.