According to the RNCS (2002:4), what today is known as science originated from African, Arabic, Asian, American and European culture, hence it has become part of the cultural heritage of all nations. The word “science”, in particular, originated from a Latin word “scientia” which means knowledge (Martin, Jr., Sexton, Wagner, Gerlovich, 1994:5). There are two views underlying the learning of science: historical and modern views. The RNCS (2002:11) refers to the historical view as traditional and indigenous knowledge systems (IKS), while the modern view is referred to as science and technology. The historical or traditional view perceives science as a means to satisfy the needs of the mind, (and not those of the body) in order to gain useful and practical knowledge (RNCS, 2002). This view implies that humans are always curious to learn new things and skills needed to acquire useful knowledge.
According to the RNCS (2002:11) many South Africans hold a world-view that all things have spiritual existence or meaning (i.e. they come from God). They believe that events occur for spiritual and physical reasons hence they connect them to the physical and social environment of the people. Traditional and indigenous knowledge systems evolved out of this school of thought (RNCS, 2002:11).
The modern view of science emphasizes the ability of humans to construct new ways of investigating information. In other words, it stresses the human potential to explore different ways of creating knowledge that is meaningful to them. The modern view of science is influenced by empiricism. Empiricism believes in measurement and observation as a means of explaining why events happen in nature. According to this view, things that cannot be measured and observed are not valid in explaining why events happen. Empiricism is used worldwide in research and science education (RNCS, 2002:11). As the modern view believes in practical knowledge, it encourages humans to develop positive attitudes to learn science. In support of the view, Sanfeliz & Stalzer (2003:64) maintain that interest and attitudes are critical aspects of science learning that motivate people to become scientifically literate. According to Martin Jr. et al. (1994:6), science requires humans to use their curiosity to construct ways of investigating and
processing information. Science consists of meanings and information humans construct for themselves to benefit their everyday living. That is, science encourages human creativity through experimentation.
The two views, however, have something in common. Both views recognize the intellectual (mind) and the emotional aspects of the human being. The emotional aspect focuses on the development of learners’ attitudes towards science, while the intellectual aspect emphasizes the development of learners’ process skills in the construction of new and useful knowledge that can be applied in everyday life. On the basis of the two perspectives mentioned above, science can be defined as a body of intellectual and social knowledge that is required by the learner to construct meaningful knowledge about the world around him/her. The acquisition of such knowledge in the education context incorporates creative thinking, problem-solving, experimentation and invention which should be employed by learners. In other words, the two views of science have implications for teaching and learning approaches.
Mintzes and Novak (2000:43) describe science as an authoritative intellectual enterprise which does not give equal weight to all points of view. By implication, science is selective and specific in that some concepts and theories are supported while others are rejected. As a result, scientific explanations or theories change over time due to external new evidence or counter-evidence to the theory. An alternative theory is then established, and the new theory may borrow some ideas from the existing theory or get other ideas from different domains (Gopnik, 1999:305). Ogunniyi’s (1986) defines science as an attempt by human beings to organize their experiences with nature into meaningful systems of description, explanation and description (Ogunniyi, 1986). Many scientists mention certain process skills as ways of thinking, measuring, and solving problems in science (De Wayne, 2002; Beisenherz & Dantonio, 1996; Martin, Jr., et.al, 1994; Padilla, Muth & Padilla, 1991). Science process skills can be divided into two: basic skills and integrated skills. The basic skills include observation, classification, communication, measurement, estimation, predictions and inferences. They help the learners to expand their learning through experience. On the other hand, the integrated
skills enable the learner to think at a higher level or to make abstract thoughts. They include the learner’s ability to identify and control variables, form hypotheses, perform experiments and interpret data. In other words, they enable the learner to conduct scientific investigations in order to discover new information. The process of science investigation is facilitated by the use of process skills and it involves the construction of knowledge by the learner herself in order to arrive at meaningful conclusions.
At the end of the science learning process the learner is expected to be able to produce information by applying it in new situations. Science products include facts, concepts, principles and theories. In other words, by making use of both basic and integrated skills the learners are able to verify information through observations and measurements to produce facts. To produce concepts, the learner needs to be able to make generalizations based on facts and other experiences. The end products of school science depend on effective teaching and learning which, in turn are influenced by a number of factors such as teaching and learning strategies; medium of instruction; and other factors linked to cognitive development (Fairbrother, 2000).
In relation to the RNCS principles and the Learning Outcomes of the Natural Sciences Learning Area, the above description of “science” has to do with the construction of knowledge that develops scientific literacy. Secondly, scientific literacy is acquired through various means that involve scientific investigations. Thirdly, scientific knowledge can be applied in various situations of our daily lives. So science is part of our daily activities, although we might not be aware of it due to the lack of understanding of the scientific world.