The essence of science we use to answer the question "what exactly is science?" The term science comes from the Latin Scientia which means knowledge. However, this statement is too broad in everyday use.
In a narrow sense, science is a scientific discipline consisting of physical sciences and life sciences. Physical sciences include astronomy, chemistry, geology, mineralogy, meteorology, and physics, while life science includes biology (anatomy, physiology, zoology, cytology, embryology, microbiology). Book this, the term science is defined specifically as the nature of science or natural science.
The definition of the term science in particular as Natural Science is very diverse. Conant (in Usman, 2006: 1) defines science as a series of concepts and conceptual schemes that are related to one another, and grow as a result of experimentation and observation, and are useful for further observation and experimentation.
Carin & Sund (1989) define science as a system for understanding the universe through observation and experiment controlled. Trowbridge & Bybee (1986: 38) define science as follows: "Science is a body of knowledge, formed by a process of continuous inquiry, and encompassing the people who are engaged in the scientific enterprise".
Based on this definition , the unique characteristic of science is that science is pursued through various processes of continuous investigation, which contribute in various ways to form unique systems. Based on this definition, the unique characteristic of science is that science is pursued through various processes of continuous investigation, which contribute in various ways to form unique systems.
Nash in his book The Nature of Science states that "Science is a way of looking at the world". So here science is seen as a way or method to be able to observe something, in this case, is the world.
Furthermore, Nash argued that the way of looking at the science on something was different from the ordinary way of looking at it or the way of looking at the philosopher for example.
The way of looking at science is analytical, seeing something completely and carefully and being connected between one phenomenon and another so that as a whole it forms a new perspective about the object being observed.
He further emphasized that "the whole science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking". This sentence means that the method of thinking or scientific mindset is not the same as the everyday mindset, in which the thinking must undergo a "refinement" so that it is accurate and complete.
JD Bernal suggested that understanding science must be through understanding from various aspects or aspects of the whole science (not only from one aspect).
He highlighted 5 aspects, namely:
1. Science as an institution.
The institution here means an imaginary, an institution from a certain professional field. For example, people ask "where do you work?", Then the person being asked answers "in the field of science".
The field of science has only emerged in the 20th century and recognized its existence is because there have been thousands of people who depend their lives on this field. Science has a special characteristic; if other fields (medicine, law, etc.) deal directly with society, but the field of science tends to separate itself from the general public.
Scientists work in the laboratory with tools foreign to society, making calculations that only they can understand as if they could understand had a special language that only their peers.
Because of this special characteristic, people quickly know that it is science, but when asked what science is, most of them do not know because they do not understand what are doing scientists. So the answer is " science is what scientists do" or "science is what scientist do" as stated by Bernal.
2. Science as a method.
This contrasts with science as an institution that is something tangible and can be seen in its relationship with society. Science as a method is an abstract thing, which is a conception.
The conception of the scientific method itself is not fixed because its understanding develops under historical developments. So the scientific method is a process that is constantly changing.
The method scientific consists of some activities, both mental and manual, including observation, experimentation, classification, measurement, and so on. The scientific method also involves theories hypotheticals and laws.
3. Science as a collection of knowledge.
Science can be seen as a body of knowledge that continues to grow, not static. The collection of scientific knowledge is not the same as religion or art.
Religion is concerned with preserving an absolute truth, whereas art is individual. The difference with science is that the truth of science is not absolute because the truth of science is checked by others or repeated observations, and the number is always growing.
Science as a collection of knowledge refers to a collection of various scientific concepts that are very broad. Science is considered as the accumulation of various knowledge that has been discovered from ancient times to the discovery of new knowledge. This knowledge is in the form of facts, concepts, theories, and generalizations that explain nature.
4. Science as a factor of production development
5. Science as one of the factors that influence beliefs and attitudes.
Nagel in the first chapter in the book Philosophy of Science Today by Sidney Morgenbesser argues that science can be seen in three aspects, namely:
a. Aspect of purpose, science is an unstuck tool to control nature, and contribute to human welfare. For example the various benefits that can be obtained from science and technology in the sector health and industry.
b. Knowledge aspects that are systematic and robust in the sense that it is a result or conclusion obtained from various events.
c. In the aspect of the method, the scientific method is a set of rules for solving problems, obtaining laws or theories of the object being observed.
R. Harre in his book The Philosophies of Science explained that "science is a collection of well-attested theories which explain the patterns and regularities and irregularities among carefully studied phenomena", which that means science is a collection of theories that have been verified, explaining patterns. - the pattern and regularity as well as the irregularity of the closely observed symptoms.
This claim is made up of two things. The first states that science is a collection of knowledge, in this case, theories. The second explains the function of knowledge or theory, namely to explain the pattern of relationships between various natural phenomena.
Wigner (physicist) defines science as a store/store of knowledge about natural phenomena. Bube defines science as knowledge about the natural world obtained from the interaction of the senses with that world.
This statement provides an interesting rigor about how the activity observation takes place, namely:
(a) the observation of natural phenomena (which is the basis of authority over which scientific knowledge applies) through one's mind and senses
(b) the observation process involves two lines of interaction between the observer and the observed. Observation is in two ways, namely:
(1) the observer is influenced to respond to stimuli in his environment through his senses
(2) the object or symptom observed is also treated and may change. To discuss the nature of science, several things need to be considered according to Hardy and Fleer (1996) so that we can understand science in a broader perspective, namely:
1. Science as a body of knowledge Science as a collection of knowledge refers to a collection of various scientific concepts that are very large.
Science is considered as the accumulation of various knowledge that has been discovered from ancient times until the discovery of new knowledge. This knowledge is in the form of facts, concepts, theories, and generalizations that explain nature.
2. Science as a process Science as a process of tracing is generally a view that connects the image of science which is closely related to laboratory activities and their devices.
Science is seen as something that has a strict, discipline objective, and is a value-free process from observations, inferences, hypotheses, and experiments in nature. Scientists provide various ideas that involve the scientific method process in carrying out its activities.
3. Science as a collection of values Science as a collection of values is closely related to the emphasis of science as a process. However, this view emphasizes aspects of the scientific value inherent in science.
This includes the values of honesty, curiosity, and openness to even new phenomena. 4. Science as a way of knowing the world The process of science is influenced by how people understand life and the world around them.
Science is considered a way in which humans understand and give meaning to the world around them. Science is not only a collection of knowledge. Cain & Evans (Nuryani Y. Rustaman, et al. 2003: 88) stated that science contains four things, namely: content or product, process or method, attitude, and technology.
If science contains these four things, then even when learning science students need to experience these four things. In learning science, students not only learn products, but also must learn aspects of processes, attitudes, and technology so that students can truly understand science as a whole.
In line with these thoughts, learning science is something that must be done by students, not something that is done to students as stated by the National Science Educational Standards (1996: 20) that "Learning science is an active process. Learning science is something student to do, not something that is done to them ”.
Thus, in science learning students are required to learn actively which is implied in physical or mental activities, not only covering hands-on activities but also minds-on.