The Nature of Science Always Part of the Science Story.

Accurately conveying the nature of science (NOS)—what science is and how it works—is common to most science education standards documents (McComas and Olson 1998), including the National Science Education Standards (NRC 1996) and Science for All Americans (AAAS 1989). Understanding how science works is crucial to scientific literacy because bound up in content and public policy decisions involving science are issues regarding what science is, how knowledge in science comes to be accepted, and what science can and cannot do. Mistaken ideas of science likely affect students’ attitudes toward science and learning in science classes.