The purpose of this study is to investigate relationship of fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade students’ scientific epistemological beliefs with their frequency of participating in laboratory activities. For this purpose, correlational study method was used. Sample of the study involved 301 students purposively selected from convenient schools. The data of the study was collected by a Likert type scale called “Scientific Epistemological Beliefs Scale” and information form about frequency of participating in laboratory activities and description of sample laboratory activities. The findings showed that majority of the students never participated in lab activities or participated in one time during one year. Also the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade students’ scientific epistemological beliefs were significantly related to their frequency of participating in laboratory activities. They are positively correlated to each other. However there were no significant relationships between the students’ scientific epistemological beliefs and their frequency of participating in laboratory activities. Hence it can be claimed that participating in lab activities is associated with development of sophisticated scientific epistemological beliefs.

Knowing about nature of science (NOS) and its products is a basic requirement of all graduate students and researchers due to being both members of society and experts on different scientific disciplines. As the first step, determining NOS understandings of graduate students has importance to go further in developing current situation. Therefore, this study aimed to determine NOS understandings of graduate students from different disciplines. The study included seven graduate students who were enrolled in universities as researchers. As the data collection way, face-to-face interview was utilized. The data of the study was analyzed by assigning the participants to four categories; expert, naive, mixed and not applicable. The results showed that majority of the participants were expert on social and cultural embeddedness of science and role of creativity and imagination in science while majority of the participants were naive on the aspects of “hierarchy between theories and laws”. Majority of them had mixed understandings on the aspects of existence of only one method in science, subjectivity, tentativeness. Interestingly, all of the participants were naive in terms of definition of science. The results and implications of the study will be discussed.