Findings
Applying the framework to these first cohorts allowed for general background
beliefs to be determined. In this respect one important finding from the starting
point analysis is that it was not the case that the majority of the students start the course with very positivistic notions of science. This surprised the researchers,
given the literature evidence cited earlier. The finding was given further support by
the Nott and Wellington questionnaire data, with the cohorts overall skewed to the
process end of the process/content axis and slightly skewed to the relativist end of
the relativist/positivist axis. Moreover, examination of the writing of those classed
as strongly positivist showed that there was more evidence of complexity than
might have been predicted from their questionnaire results.
The analysis of starting points is presented here in relation to each area of the
framework, with exemplar quotes from the interview tasks and Starting Point A
essays. There were no discernible differences in the patterns of instances of reference
to the areas of the framework between the three cohorts. Developments on the
course are then discussed in the light of these starting points. In presenting the findings,
given the broad range of qualitative data gathered, we do not include quantitative
counts of instances of reference to the framework from particular sources;
rather we focus on the general trends discernible from the range of qualitative data
gathered and the development issues that this raises