Van Fraassen pragmatic theory of explanation as a theory of why-questions¶

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Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The article presents Van Fraassen's (VF) pragmatic theory of explanation as "essentally a theory of why-questons". Formulating a theory of explanation poses two main problems: the provision of an account of justifiable rejection of explanation-requests, and the accounting for the asymmetries of explanation. To this end, "he takes explanaton as a ternary relatonship that holds between theories, facts and contexts", with why-questions and their answers individuated relative to a context, placing explanation on grounds respectable from an empiricist standpoint.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• A contextual analysis in which why-questions and their answers are individuated relative to a context

Constraints¶

Target Learners¶

• science learners and teachers eliciting explanations of physics concepts

Target Learning Objectives¶

• framing students' explanation-seeking in physics concepts

Claims¶

Related Theories¶

• Explanation questions divide into cause-seeking, effect-seeking, and causal-elaboration types with distinct answer structures
• A taxonomy of history questions classifies questions by the type and structure of the required response, not by surface interrogative form

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Bautista, R. G. (2015). Students' affordance of teleologic explanations and anthropomorphic language in eliciting concepts in physics. Journal of Technology and Science Education, 5(1), 31-40. doi:10.3926/jotse.137