Primary Students’ Scientific Reasoning Through Written and Drawing Modes in the Predict-Observe-Explain (POE) Approach

Information from the abstract

First-year primary school students need to respond to the national curriculum’s learning outcome in their country: explain why most stars are invisible during the day, based on empirical evidence; at the same time as the first year of compulsory reading and writing education in their local language and alphabet, which would be difficult to communicate for this age. The predict-observe-explain (POE) was therefore implemented to support their interpretations of classroom experiments as scientific evidence in explaining this astronomical concept. It has been trusted as an effective approach because its baseline of thinking is consistent with the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) explanation model proposed by McNeill (2006) and the scientific reasoning model proposed by Klahr and Dunbar (1988). Findings clarified: I. Two types of students’ modeling to represent natural phenomena in classroom experimentations: manipulating through environmental modifications and manipulating based on the existing environment without altering it. II. The patterns of students’ interpretations of evidence from both those who interpreted observations as scientific evidence (62.50%) and those who did not (37.50%). III. The role of visual drawings as a supporting means for providing empirical written evidence. Furthermore, some suggestions to improve primary school science instruction were presented.

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Related topics: Science Education and Pedagogy · Evolution and Science Education · Educational Methods and Outcomes