JEE ISSN 2146-2674 Volume 7 Issue 1 2017 Akarsu 23 STUDENTS’ PERSPECTIVE ON CULTURAL ISSUES AND VIEWS OF THE NATURE OF SCIENCE Bayram Akarsu Department of Science Education Erciyes University Kayseri, Turkey bakarsu@gmail.com (Received:27.01.2017; Accepted: 03.03.2017) Abstract Last 50 years of investigations revealed that understanding and knowledge of the nature of science (NOS) and its fundamentals fell short towards expectations. In addition, the NOS has been studied together with other corresponding areas such as inquiry, culture, and socioeconomic issues for recent years. The current study was intended to investigate cultural perspectives of pre-service teachers in relation with views of the NOS. Participants were enrolled in science and elementary teacher education programs at a large university in Turkey. Data was collected when they were taking a science practicum course ‘The Nature and History of Science’ in their junior year. In order to gather related data, a total of 226 pre-service science and elementary teachers enrolled in teacher preparation programs participated in this study. Participants were working at their junior year at the time of the study. Data collection process took place for one academic year. Findings were compared with previous research outcomes. Results of the study indicated that cultural points of views considerably influence students’ perspectives on the NOS. Reliability coefficient (Cronbach’s alpha) was calculated 0.79. Finally, majority (%74) of the students agreed with the views of science and culture as two separate things and both can coexist towards similar destinations. Science is definitely effected by cultural issues but it does not affect scientific views and dos not cause biased opinions. Students strongly believed in cultural items. Keywords: Culture, nature of science, science education, prospective teachers. INTRODUCTION Several research-based policy documents (NARST, AAAS, NSF, ESF) promote knowledge of science and the nature of science on several national and international reports. The nature of science has been one of the highest topics in science education for last three decades. And it still continues to be a hot topic because most science teachers and students at any level (elementary to post-secondary) do not possess enough level of science and the nature of science knowledge. In order to determine and increase the understandings of scientific aspects, epistemology and methodology, several studies (Akarsu, 2010; Akerson et al., 2000; Billeh & Hasan, 1975; Carey & Stauss, 1968; Jelinek, 1998; Demir and Akarsu, 2013; Ogunniyi, 1983; Olstad, 1969; Shapiro, 1996; Solomon et al., 1994; Lederman, 1998; Abd-El-Khalick et al, 1998; Lederman et al.2002; Abd-El-Khalick and Akerson, 2009) were conducted. Such studies formed current structure of the NOS and its aspects such as social and cultural perspectives of science nature. Historically, Sir Isaac Newton and Galileo were first scientists who worked on the nature of science during Renaissance era. They were frontiers who laid ground work for modern nature of science researches. Galileo and Newton observed the world and the universe