Scientific enquiry. The nature and place of experimentation: a review/Investigación científica. La naturaleza y el papel del experimento en clases: una revisión

Headnote

Abstract

Most school syllabuses, even those for primary stages, specify aims that relate to the use of experimental work in gaining evidence. It can be argued that this is a key aspect of the nature and role of science. Nonetheless, evidence that such aims are attainable is sparse. Indeed, there is little evidence that such aims are actively required by teachers and they are rarely the focus of assessment. The skills are explored and evidence is discussed that suggests that such aims might be difficult to attain with younger secondary school pupils simply on grounds of cognitive development.

Key words: Empirical, critical experiment, developmental levels, role of experimental, scientific thinking, scientific literacy.

Resumen

La mayoría de curriculos de la escuela, incluse para etapas iniciales de estudio, especifica los objetivos del uso del trabajo experimental para adquirir pruebas. Se puede argumentar que este es un aspecto clave de la naturaleza y el papel de la ciencia. No obstante, las pruebas de que taies objetivos son alcanzables, son escasas, parque hay pocas pruebas de que tales datas son activamente pedidos par profesores y que raramente son la base de la valoración de los conocimientos. Estas habilidades son exploradas y discutidas y muestran que taies objetivos podrian ser difíciles de lograr en alumnos de escuela secundaria, solo sobre los fundamentos del desarrollo cognitivo.

Palabras clave: experimento empírico, crítico, niveles del desarrollo, papel del experimento, pensamiento cientifico, alfabetización científica.

SCIENCE AND ENQUIRY

OSBORNE and COLLINS (2000, p. 23) pose a fundamental question when they ask,

"What kind of scientific knowledge, skills or understanding do they (pupils) think they need for dealing with everyday life?"

In England, they showed that pupils found chemistry, as an aspect of science, uninteresting, with most of the content as unrelated to their everyday life. They suggested that the concentration on theoretical aspects appeared "to too many pupils to be abstruse and far removed from their daily concerns" (ibid., p. 25).

GRAY (1999) considered similar questions looking particularly at the developing world countries. According to GRAY, there has been a noticeable decline in the quality of science education in most developing world countries in the past few decades. He attributed this development to the fact that, historically, the structure and the nature of...