Technology as ‘Applied Science’

The Role of Technology in Science: Philosophical Perspectives, 2015

The relationship(s) between science and technology can be conceived in different ways depending on how each of the two concepts is defined. This chapter traces them both back to the medieval tradition of knowledge classification and its notions of science and mechanical arts. Science can be defined either in the limited sense of the English language or in a broader sense that includes the humanities. It is argued that the latter approach provides a more adequate delimitation from an epistemological point of view. The word "technology" can refer either to knowledge about practical activities with tools and machines (a common sense in German and many other languages) or to these activities, tools, and machines themselves (the common sense of the word in English). Based on conceptual clarifications of the two concepts, four classes of philosophically interesting questions about sciencetechnology relationships are outlined: (1) the relation between science in general and technological science, (2) the role of science in technological practice, (3) the role of technological practice in science, and (4) the relationship between science and the Aristotelian notion of productive arts (that is more general than the notion of technological practice).

Research in Science Education, 2017

This study investigated some of the aspects that characterise the understanding of the Nature of Science (NOS) and Nature of Technology (NOT) of 20 children and youths from different countries who perform scientific and technological activities in a non-formal teaching and learning setting. Data were collected using a questionnaire and semistructured interviews. A categorical instrument was developed to analyse the participants' conceptions of the following subjects: (1) the role of the scientist, (2) NOS and (3) NOT. The results suggest that the participants had naïve conceptions of NOS that are marked by empirical and technicalinstrumental views. They characterised NOT primarily as an instrumental apparatus, an application of knowledge and something important that is part of their lives. They exhibited a stereotypical understanding of the role of the scientist (development of methods, demonstration of facts, relationship with technological devices, etc.).

Science Education, 2009

Science and technology education, both as distinct and integrated subjects, relies on a traditional conception of science and technology as quite different and separated enterprises. A closer look at the scientific progress, however, reveals the traditional view as being one-sided. This study scrutinises the unification of science and technology education from the viewpoint of recent studies, which have revealed an unexpectedly deep bidirectional relationship between the development of science and technology. The highly cognitive role of technology in scientific knowledge construction through experimentation reveals the need for a new unifying view, technoscience, and its consideration within science education. Since technoscience promotes a scientifically sound and authentic view on the relationship between science and technology, it increases the coherence of learning processes by combining these elements, which have been traditionally separated within education. Additionally, technoscience supports in a natural way the teaching solutions, which put weight on personal conceptualization for learning.

This paper is an examination of the antagonism between science and humanism under the current popularity of so called postmodernism. As consequence, a false disjuncition has arisen that has had strong impact on educational policies. A perspective based on Habermas distinction between instrumental reason and communicative reason is proppposed, as a way to overcome this disjunction.

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 2001

Science literacy includes understanding technology. This raises questions about the role of technology in science education as well as in general education. To explore these questions, this article begins with a brief history of technology education as it relates to science education and discusses how new conceptions of science and technological literacy are moving beyond the dichotomies that formerly characterized the relationship between science and technology education. It describes how Benchmarks for Science Literacy, the National Science Education Standards, and the Standards for Technological Literacy have been making a case for introducing technology studies into general education. Examples of specific technological concepts fundamental for science literacy are provided. Using one example from the design of structures, the article examines how understanding about design (i. e., understanding constraints, tradeoffs, and failures) is relevant to science literacy. This example also raises teaching and learning issues, including the extent to which technology-based activities can address scientific and technological concepts. The article also examines how research can provide guides for potential interactions between science and technology and concludes with reflections on the changes needed, such as the creation of curriculum models that establish fruitful interactions between science and technology education, for students to attain an understanding of technology.

Journal of Technology Education, 1996

How Important is Science for Technological Innovation? In the early days of the development of philosophy of technology as a discipline that reflects on technology, one finds the opinion that technology is applied science. (Bunge, 1966 speaks about "technology" and "applied science" as "synonyms"). Gardner (1994) shows how Francis Bacon already defended the thesis that technology should be applied science and that we find this opinion time and again in later literature. It is then suggested that there is a more or less straightforward path from that scientific knowledge to the technological product. This opinion for some time functioned as a paradigm for the philosophy of technology. Nowadays we find much opposition against this paradigm and it is clear that we are going through a revolution in the Kuhnian sense (Kuhn, 1970) from one paradigm to the next. But what will be the next paradigm? That is not always so clear. Some recent literature tends to swing towards the opposite and suggests that technology precedes science. The example of the steam engine is mentioned to illustrate that. Elsewhere, I described the development of a successful corkscrew by a Dutch company named Brabantia (de Vries, 1994a). In that study it became evident that scientific knowledge had only a very limited influence on the development of the product and the explanation for the great success of the corkscrew is only to a small extent based on clever use of knowledge of natural phenomena. Rather the success is the result of a clever use of the combination of scientific-technological know-how and know-how of social (market, juridical) phenomena. The case studies in aeronautics by Vincenti in his well known What Engineers Know and How They Know It confirm that. When he surveyed the various types of know-how that helped engineers to design their aircraft, he found that scientific knowledge is only one of several types (Vincenti, 1990).

Transversal: International Journal for the Historiography of Science, 2017

In this paper, we present an interdisciplinary discussion on the relations between Science–Technology Education and Culture both historical standpoint and nowadays. The idea that a human mind can produce an intellectual revolution within science and its approaches (methods and methodologies also integrated with contradictions and criticisms) strongly crossed like a paradigm both in the history of sciences and disciplines–literatures (reasoning, early enlightenment, positivism, etc.): but what about its social impact and science mission, as well? To describe the impact of the disseminated knowledge is a consequent aim. A case study on energy conceptualization and its exhibitions in Society in Context is discussed; their correlations with education (pedagogical aspects included), science–techniques, industry and social impacts are discussed, as well.

Technology is generally viewed as 'applied science', that is to say, as something that comes 'after' science. This conception justifies the lack of attention paid to technology in science education, especially where physics education is concerned. In this chapter we question this simplistic view of the science-technology relationship, historically rooted in the unequal appreciation of intellectual and manual work, and we try to show how the absence of the technological dimension in science education contributes to a naïve and distorted view of science which deeply affects the necessary scientific and technological literacy of all citizens, as well as the preparation of the future scientists and technicians that our societies demand.

Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1992

Teaching about the history and nature of science and technology has long been a goal of science education. For an equally long period, science educators have done little to educate students about science and technology. Comprehending the nature of science is equated with specific steps in the scientific method, and understanding the nature of technology is synonymous with the definition "technology is applied science ."