Learning about natural hazards and risks through science practices entails considerations of uncertainty. We examined ways in which students expressed their epistemic (un)certainty about claims they made based on their inscription-based science practices. We analysed the level and reasoning of epistemic (un)certainty articulated by students in grades 6–13 (n = 266) as they interpreted cone of uncertainty maps to forecast hurricane risks, used a computer simulation to understand how pressure systems influence a hurricane’s path, and analysed graphs to identify the relationship between ocean surface temperature and hurricane frequency. We delineated students’ epistemic uncertainty in four dimensions of science practices: conceptual, material, epistemological, and social. Results showed that (1) students exhibited the highest levels of certainty when analysing graphs and the lowest when using a simulation, (2) their reasoning predominantly reflected conceptual and epistemological dimensions, (3) the social dimension was most prevalent when considering hurricane risks for communities and practices of the science community, and (4) significant positive relationships existed among students’ claims, their levels of certainty, and the extent of epistemic engagement in their reasoning. We discuss theoretical, research, and pedagogical implications of these findings.
Lee, H. S., Pallant, A., Gweon, G. H., Lord, T., & Lore, C. (2025). Exploring students’ engagement with inscription-based science practices from the perspective of epistemic (un)certainty. International Journal of Science Education, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2025.2488407