How Children Reason from Data to Conclusions in Practical Science Investigations

Abstract

This study examines the understandings that children bring to a practical science investigation, focussing on their reasoning as they collect and evaluate experimental data and draw conclusions about relationships between variables. Two practical investigations were used in the study, each carried out by 10 children aged 9, 11 and 13 (total n=60) from 6 schools in the North of England. Both investigations involved one independent variable, which has an effect on the outcome, and one, which does not. Children worked individually and their activities were filmed. After the practical investigation, each child was interviewed about a video recording, which showed two other children carrying out the other practical investigation of the pair. The child’s responses were recorded on interview sheets and were also audio-taped. The analysis shows that, in situations of co-variation, most children use the presence of a trend to conclude that a variable has an effect. In situations of non-covariation, their reasoning is much more varied and fewer reach a well-argued conclusion. Such tasks are therefore useful to teachers and researchers for eliciting children’s reasoning in greater depth, and for helping to develop it further.