Scientific inquiry
ABSTRACT
Inquiry means to seek information, knowledge or truth.
Scientific research refers to the way scientists study the natural world and
suggest explanations based on evidence from their works. It is a concern of the
educator interested in the process as well as the products of science. It
involves theory construction, rigorous observation, and experimentation. This
article focuses on how to conduct a scientific inquiry using invention and
test, hypothesis testing, confirmation and acceptability.
Keywords: Inquiry, invention,
hypothesis, confirmation, acceptability
1. Introduction
As pointed out in the National Science Education Standards
(National Research Council, 1996), students who use inquiries to learn science
engage in many activities and thought processes, much like scientists who seek
to expand human knowledge of the natural world.
However, the activities and thought processes used by scientists are not
always familiar to the educator who seeks to introduce an inquiry into the
classroom. A good way to start this inquiry is to compare a scientist's method
and thought process with the activities of a research-based science
lesson.
Scientific research has two main functions. First, it provides a description of how
scientific experiments are conducted in practice. Second, it provides an explanation of why scientific
research is successful in gaining real knowledge at the end of its
process. There is a scientific inquiry
that goes beyond the development of process skills such as observing, guessing,
classifying, predicting, measuring, interrogating, interpreting and analyzing
data, which should lead to a proper scientific examination.
2. invention
and test
A series of empirical "facts" can be analyzed and
highlighted in a variety of ways, many of which will not shed light on each
posture in a gift test. Semmelweis can
classify women on the maternity ward according to criteria such as age, place
of residence, marital status, eating habits, and so on. But information about
these will not give a patient any clue about their chances of contracting
childbed fever. Semmelweis expected
criteria that were significantly related to those expectations; to this end, he
finally discovered, illuminated the isolation of women who were involved by
medical officers with corrupt hands.
This is because the high infant mortality rate was associated with this
symptom or the corresponding class of patients.
Thus, if a particular method of analyzing and classifying empirical
findings leads to an explanation of relevant phenomena, it must be based on
assumptions about how those phenomena relate; without such assumptions,
analysis and classification are blind.
2.1 Inductive Reasoning
Inductive reasoning is a logical thinking that analyzes the
tendencies or relationships of data to arrive at a general conclusion. A scientist observes and notes them. This data can be qualitative or quantitative
and can be supplemented with raw data drawings, pictures, photos or
videos. Inductive reasoning involves
generalization through careful observation and analysis of a large number of
individual data points. The
generalizations derived from the persuasive arguments are not always correct.
2.2
Deductive Reasoning
Deduction reasoning is another form of logical thinking that
begins with a general policy or law and applies to a specific situation in
order to predict specific outcomes. A
general set of principles enables a scientist to cite and predict definite
results that will always be correct until the general principles they begin
with are correct.
3.
HYPOTHESIS TESTING
Biologists study the living world by asking questions and
finding science-based answers. The
scientific method has been used even in ancient times.
A hypothesis is a proposed explanation that can be
tested. Several hypotheses can be
suggested to solve a problem. For
example, one assumption might be, "The classroom is hot because no one has
activated the air conditioning."
But there may be other responses to the question and therefore other hypotheses
may be suggested. The second assumption may be, "If a power outage causes
the classroom to overheat, then the air conditioner will not work." Once
an assumption is selected, a prediction can be made. For example, the first assumption might be,
"If the student activates the air conditioning, the classroom will no
longer be warm." Using the scientific method (figure 01), the hypotheses
that are inconsistent with experimental data are rejected.
4.
CONFIRMATION AND ACCEPTABILITY
An assumption should be tested to confirm validity. In the
absence of unfavorable evidence, the confirmation of a hypothesis will normally
be regarded as increasing with the number of favorable test findings. There are
already thousands of confirmation cases.
The addition of another advantageous find confirms the boost but little.
The advantage of a hypothesis depends not only on the amount of evidence
available, but also on its diversity: the greater the diversity, the stronger
the effect.
4. CONCLUSION
Scientific inquiry refers to the diverse ways in which
scientists study the natural world and propose explanations based on the
evidence derived from their work. Inquiry also refers to the activities of
students in which they develop knowledge and understanding of scientific ideas,
as well as an understanding of how scientists study the natural world.
REFERENCES
[1]
Scientific Inquiry
Definition and Meaning | Top Hat
[2] Scientific Inquiry | Biology for Non-Majors I (lumenlearning.com)
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