Misconceptions and development of Understanding of Inquiry/Experimenting

Misconceptions

• Scientific ideas are created solely with creativity and intellect (missing observation as critical element).
• Inquiry is a collection of information that explains how the natural world functions.
• A cookbook approach of following a receipe is scientific inquiry.
• The world exists according to human's needs, interests, and/ or desires.
• The natural world exists in a state that has not changed much since its creation and will exist in a similar state forever.
• Natural processes/ events are initiated and controlled by spiritual entities.
• Understanding comes from just watching everything in a natural state.
• Science is done in labs and not in the real world.
• Personal status by itself confers authority to define, interpret, and change knowledge.
• Knowledge is static and unchanging.
• There is always an explanation for everything.

Development

Preschool and early primary

Young students many times experiment to confirm their prejudices and beliefs. They generally use no logical experiment, no attempt for a fair test or no attempt to control variables. They tend to focus on one aspect that may or may not relate to what they are trying to confirm and use illogical or transductive reasoning to support their beliefs.

• Selectively observe or manipulate observation to support their belief.
• Focus on cause and effect or before and after. Simple one to one corresondence.

8 years old (grade 3) - 11 years (grade 6)

As students mature they are more able to identify variables and develop an understanding for the need to control variables for a fair experiment or for a fair test. This is a good time to introduce the idea of an investigation as a "fair-test". This may start with the idea of fair play and is a useful analogy to introduce experimental science in the primary grades.

• Understanding that properties can be thought of as variables - having the property of being able to have specific limited categorical value or infinite continuous value.
• Can identify variables as having various effects on an outcome from none or little to a lot or being the determining factor of a particular results or set of results.
• Seek a fair test.
• Can identify independent and dependent variables when prompted.
• Recognize advantages to control variables in an experiment.

11 years old (grade 6)

About sixth grade students begin to see the need for identifying and controlling all variables andto provide for a control in some experiments.

• With appropriate instruction they can design and explain simple experimental design (designs that manipulates one variable at a time) Understand the need to identify variable, chose one to manipulate (independent variables), collect data for it and appropriate responding variables (dependent variables), and to control all other variables in a logically planned experiment.
• Recognize the need for a control in some experiments. Experiment with one variable manipulated while all other variables are controlled in the experimental system and provide another experiment where all variables are controlled. Observable difference between the control and the experimental can then be used to support a reasonable logical explanation for their question.
• Recognize the need for the reasoning about observations as evidence to create explanations and conclusions which are communicated to be evaluated for its logic to determine the validity of explanations and models.

Example: Experiment to investigate the affect of dairy products on growth in mammals. An experiment is designed where two litter mate rats are raised in exactly the same conditions (heat temperature, light, sound,...), except one is feed a balanced diet including dairy products, the other has no dairy products but is substituted sugar water with the same amount of calories as the amount of dairy products fed to the dairy rat. Observational data is collected about the rats fur, mass, tail length, behavior, and x-rays of bone structure at the end of the experiment. Results are used to logically support an answer to the question, "Does dairy products affect the growth in mammals?" Contact the National Dairy Council for details.