Science teachers play an important role in forming the image of science that is held by their pupils. However, recent research suggests that quite often science teacher´s conceptions of the nature of scientific knowledge are marked by empiricist/inductivist epistemologies. Thus, the present paper aims to help science teachers to have a better understanding the epistemology of science aspects which may be relevant for their teaching, in particular, the role of the problem, the theory and its articulation with observation. Arguments in line with proposals of the new philosophy of science are developed and implications for teacher education are considered.
epistemology; science education; teacher education