Investigating in the school science laboratory: conceptual and procedural knowledge and their influence on performance

Authors:
  • RMRobin Millar
    Robin Millar
  • FLFred Lubben
    Fred Lubben
  • RGRichard Got
    Richard Got
  • SDSandra Duggan
    Sandra Duggan
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Abstract
The Procedural and Conceptual Knowledge in Science (PACKS) Project is concerned with children's ability to carry out investigation tasks in school science, and with the understandings which inform their actions. The project observed groups of children at three age points between 9 and 14 years, carrying out one of seven investigation tasks, and collected data from informal and semiformal interviews and written and oral diagnostic probes. This paper describes the model of investigation performance which has been developed by the PACKS project and validated using the data collected. Children's understandings of the aims and purposes of investigating in science (frame), and of the ideas which underpin criteria for evaluating the quality of empirical data (understanding of evidence), emerge as important factors in determining children's performance of an investigation task, alongside their understanding of the science concepts relevant to that specific task. Examples of children's responses to investigation tasks and diagnostic probes are used to illustrate: (i) the range of frames children used in a task on cooling and insulation; (ii) ways of treating variables and their impact on performance on a task involving forces, (iii) the extent to which children's responses to probes of declarative science concepts and ideas about evidence act as predictors of their performance on a task involving animal behaviour. In the light of these findings it is argued that children need to be explicitly taught about the purpose of science investigations and introduced to important ideas about evidence if their ability to perform investigation tasks is to be improved.

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