Abstract
Difficulties of recognition and interpretation of ‘key evidence’ in testing and modifying hypotheses in structured practical investigations were researched with 500 Scottish students of Biology aged 14 – 16 years. Categorisation of students’ modifications in nine science contexts identified a range of typical responses and the importance of content, context and language in types of error made. How key evidence can become difficult to recognise and interpret in student-inspired, objectively assessed, open-ended biology investigations is described for a representative sub-sample of 95 students. A large group was found to have evaluated hypotheses largely from qualitative observations. Lack of interpretability of evidence was found in tables of results and graphs drawn from these and traced to problems from adopting particular procedures, understanding distinctions and relationships between variables and difficulties with mathematical concepts and processes.
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© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
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Robertson, I.J. (1999). Key Evidence in Testing Hypotheses. In: Bandiera, M., Caravita, S., Torracca, E., Vicentini, M. (eds) Research in Science Education in Europe. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9307-6_24
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-9307-6_24
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
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