HPS and Science Education Conference Series
This website serves two past conferences both co-hosted by Boston University’s School of Education and the Center for Philosophy and History of Science. These conferences were sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
Past Conference, February 26 & 27, 2016
“How Can HPS Contribute to Science Literacy and Citizenship?”
The conference on “How Can HPS Contribute to Science Literacy and Citizenship?” focused on what should be taught to prepare students to participate as citizens in discussions of policy when scientific concerns must be accounted for along with those of economics, ethics, law, culture, and politics. What is it about science that future citizens need to understand to advise their leaders about policy? What historical examples can be used? What is the content bridge between the science classroom and the social studies classroom to address these issues in Grades K-12? What teacher professional development may be necessary? These are some of the questions that were addressed.
The conference consisted of presentations and a subsequent round-table discussion intended for the conferees to share ideas. During the round-table, science and social studies teachers had an opportunity to express their perspectives based on their classroom experience.
For more information on the public conference, please contact the Boston University Center for Philosophy and History of Science (cphs@bu.edu, phone: (617) 353-2604).
Past Conference, December 7 & 8, 2012
“How Can the HPS Contribute to Contemporary U.S. Science Teaching?”
The conference on “How Can the History and Philosophy of Science Contribute to Contemporary U.S. Science Teaching?”, co-hosted by Boston University’s School of Education and the Center for Philosophy and History of Science, was held on December 7 and 8, 2012. It brought together historians, scientists, philosophers, and science educators. The objective of the conference was to define a research agenda to evaluate the value and use of the history and philosophy of science in the classroom. The presentations made on December 7th were part of the Boston Colloquium for Philosophy of Science. On December 8th, conferees gathered in working groups to address specific questions.
December, 2012 Conference Materials
These conferences have been sponsored by the National Science Foundation‘s Division of Research on Learning in Formal and Informal Settings under REESE grant 1205273.
