معرفی
Naphtali Callaerts is a researcher at the University of Namur (UNamur), Belgium, based in the Research Unit in Chemistry Teaching of the Institute for Research in Didactics and Education, Faculty of Education and Training Sciences. His work spans chemistry education, the sociology of scientific images, and the study of students’ epistemic beliefs in a post-truth era.
Education
- Master in Chemical Sciences, specialised in “chemistry in business” (2019). Thesis: Study of the structure and inhibition of Mycobacterium avium phosphoserine phosphatase (supervised by Prof. J. Wouters).
Research Interests
Callaerts investigates how chemistry is taught and learned, with particular attention to:
• the selection of curriculum content in secondary-school chemistry;
• the impact of students’ epistemic beliefs on academic success;
• the reproducibility crisis and the evolving status of scientific images;
• the influence of digital manipulation (e.g., Photoshop) on scientific integrity.
His projects (2022–2024) include a large-scale survey of French-speaking Belgian teachers to identify operational compromises in chemistry courses, and a collaborative study on fostering critical thinking among university students in a post-truth world.
Publications & Outputs
Since 2019 he has published peer-reviewed articles that bridge chemistry education, history of science, and research ethics, with a notable focus on visual representations in experimental sciences.
Scientific Awards & Funding
No specific awards or fellowships are listed in the available sources.
Advising & Grants
- Researcher, F.R.S.-FNRS / UNamur project “Analysis of the activity in didactics of the disciplines: chemistry course content based on secondary teachers’ experience” (Oct 2022 → …).
- Co-Project Manager, UNamur project “Changing Students' Epistemic Beliefs for Academic Success in a Post-Truth World” (Dec 2023 – Nov 2024).
Professional Activities & Outreach
Over the past five years Callaerts has delivered more than ten invited talks and conference presentations (e.g., 5ème colloque ADiS, Je STEM moi non plus) and has served on organising committees for major didactics conferences in the French-speaking region of Belgium.
