The Level of Experienced Omani Teachers’ Reflective Judgment of Scientific Knowledge and the Mechanisms of Justifying this Knowledge

Abstract

This study aimed at exploring the level of reflective judgment of scientific knowledge among 23 male and female experienced science teachers and the mechanisms those teachers use to justify this knowledge. Employing a mixed-method approach, the data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews. The findings indicate that most science teachers in the Sultanate of Oman are in a semi-reflective judgment level, with a relative increase in the nature of knowledge and a decrease in the level of knowledge justification. The study also demonstrates that only around 20% of science teachers have a variety of knowledge justification mechanisms, represented by the ability to search and evaluate multiple information sources. The justification mechanisms include both those that are dependent on external authority sources, such as, teachers’ scientific specializations, government decisions, and experts’ opinions and others that are related to the teacher himself/herself through his/her practices, observations and personal experiences. The study has provided several recommendations to reinforce the reflective judgment among science teachers.

Keywords

• Reflective Judgment
• Nature of knowledge
• Justification Mechanisms
• Experienced Science Teachers