Systematic review of research in the nature of science, 1963-2019: Towards a pedagogically and philosophically valid undergraduate laboratory education

The nature of science has been set as an essential component in the goals of science education since the nationwide reform in the 1960s, but in reality, its importance and perceived success of curricular implementations are still contestable. Within this pedagogical vis-à-vis philosophical discourse, undergraduate laboratory education appears to escape the intellectual development, despite the common assumption of laboratory being an indispensable element of science education. In this review, 73 empirical studies were analyzed in order to establish a case for pedagogical and philosophical validation of undergraduate laboratory curricula, by inquiring into multifarious research designs and instruments used to investigate its many dimensions, its representations in the literature, and pedagogical frameworks underpinning its approaches. Results revealed needs for more deliberation on extracting operable pedagogical approaches from the strong foundation on philosophy of science; more evidence and elaboration on changing misconceptions of the myth of scientific method; and ultimately philosophical validation of undergraduate laboratory curricula.