Just read a beautiful quotation from the late Sagan:
"Every kid starts out as a natural-born scientist, and then we beat it out of them. A few trickle through the system with their wonder and enthusiasm for science intact"
What are your thoughts on this quotation.
Personally, I believe this quotation. Having taught kids 7- at elementary schools, I've realized that many kids are actually naturally curious about the world around them. Ie: where does the rain come from? Why does this occur? But, as they progress through education and life, their tendency to retain this natural inquisitiveness about the world around them disappears. Often in education we're told to accept things the way it is (at least in high school) because that would be the answer on a test for grades. Or a teacher would impose their view or opinion on a particular topic and the students are supposed to accept unquestioningly because their exam requires them to do so. They are misled to believe that learning is just fact-absorption. Maybe kids first show resistance by asking why, but overtime the practicality of asking why diminishes and it *disappears* from their system. Kids also ask their parents why? to certain questions and ignorant parents tend to say accept it as it is. It's a lot quicker and efficient to just absorb facts and accept it as it is. This style of approach to life may have been the consequence of efficiency in industrialization (but that's another topic). I guess on another note, it's also important to recognize that what Sagan means by a "natural-born scientist" isn't that people will all become scientists but rather people would retain this innate curiosity or *questioning* perhaps of the natural world or theories, or just things in general. As in if you see a new gadget instead of only thinking I"ll buy this, read the instruction manual, and use it to make my life easier, you would also think cool, how does this work?
I guess to summarize: I believe in this quotation.