Perceptions of Science amongst College Students: An Exploration of Tentativeness and Trust

In this study, we extend the work of Cobern et al. (2022) by investigating college biology students' trust in science, their recognition of its tentative nature, and their perceptions of its accuracy. Understanding the nature of science (NOS)—its epistemological foundations—has long been assumed to foster confidence in scientific knowledge. However, recent discourse, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, raises questions about whether emphasizing the tentativeness of science might undermine trust rather than strengthen it. Our findings suggest a more nuanced perspective: while this ethnically diverse cohort of science majors affirms core scientific principles, including those contentious in public discourse (e.g., human evolution), trust in science is more closely tied to perceptions of its accuracy than to NOS understanding alone. Notably, students who perceive science as highly accurate exhibit significantly greater trust, whereas those with lower accuracy perceptions express greater skepticism. These findings suggest that trust in science is not merely a function of knowledge but is mediated by accuracy judgments, highlighting the need for instructional approaches that balance NOS concepts with clear communication of scientific reliability. The results underscore the complexity of fostering both scientific literacy and trust, with implications for education and future research.