Scientific Enquiry skills: A Guide for Teachers

How to be a scientist

Introduction:

Scientific enquiry skills are essential to explore and understand scientific concepts.

This guide outlines the steps necessary to plan and conduct a scientific investigation
effectively.

Steps for Scientific Enquiry:

To plan an investigation or to carry out a scientific enquiry, you must follow some
simple steps:

1. Ask a scientific question:

 Start with a clear, focused question.
e.g: Dose sun light affects seed germination?
………………………………………………………………………?

2. Make predictions (hypothesis):

 Formulate a hypothesis starting with phrases like:
I predict……, I think……Or It will…………
e.g: I think sun light doesn’t affect seed germination
I predict sun light affects seed germination.

3. Collect evidence:
 Research the topic using scientific references, books, magazine or
trusted websites (please avoid sites like Wikipedia) .

4. Conduct the Experiment:

( How to plan an investigation? ) You must conceder the following in conducting
the investigation:
 The variables:

a. Independent variable: The factors we change. (changeable variable).

E.g: the amount of light

b. Dependent variable The factors we measure (measurable variable). E.g:

the rate of seed germination.

c. Control variables: Factors kept constant to ensure a fair test.

 The requirements:

All the needs, items and conditions to carry out the investigation in a

proper way include:

a. Reagent: e.g HCL, iodine solution, distilled water, benedict’s solution …………..

b. Equipment: apparatus, tools or machines. E.g: measuring cylinder, ruler, stop

watch, forcemeter, microscope, balance……………………………..

c. Conditions: pH, temperature, amount of light…………………..

 Steps:

a. Follow safety precautions.

b. Identify sources of error and methods for improvement.

5. Presenting of the results:

Data obtained from the investigation (results) should be recorded. To facilitate

the analysis of data, study the pattern of them which help in interpretation and

obtaining the conclusion.

Results recorded by using of:

a. Scientific tables.
  Scientific table must be sealed closed table, heads with units and the

numerical results ordered. We need to repeat some steps to make sure

that our results are reliable, get the average, exclude the anomalous value

and reflect the precision of the measuring instrument.

 Units should not be included with data in the body of a table.

e.g:
Time in hour Length of shadow in cm
10:30 90
11:00 45
12:00 25
3:00 50

b. Suitable graphs.
We can select the suitable scientific graph according to the types of results.
 Bar chart:

Use bar chart when your results are categorical or discrete data (different
objects or different groups) with a number for each one. The bars are separate
because each bar shows a different object or group. A graph should be drawn with
sharp pencil and the bar with equal width. Each axis should be labeled with the
quantity and the unit.

The independent variable should be plotted on x-axis (horizontal axis) and the
dependent variable plotted on the y-axis (vertical axis).
 e.g: types of apples:
Types of apple No
Red 5
Yellow 12
green 20

25

20

15

10

0
red yellow green

Types of apple

 Line graph:
Use line graph when your results are pairs of numbers (numerical) results.
Line graphs can be used to show how something changes with time.

The independent variable should be plotted on x-axis (horizontal axis) and the
dependent variable plotted on the y-axis (vertical axis).

Points on the graph should be clearly marked as crosses(x) or encircled dot (o) of
appropriate size.

A best-fit line (trend line) should be a single, thin, smooth line or curve.
Points those are clearly anomalous should be ignored when drawing the best-fit line.

e.g:

 Pie charts are used to show percentage or proportional.

Sales
1st Qtr
2nd Qtr
3rd Qtr
4th Qtr
 Histogram should be drawn for continuous data. They should have bars that
touch.

4
Series 1
3
Series 2

2 Series 3

0
Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4

6. Interpret the result:

Now easily we can describe the pattern of results and discuss them
scientifically.

7. Conclusion:
It is the outcome of the investigation and it will answer the scientific question
which we start with, also the conclusion will either confirm our prediction or
reject it.

Good luck,

Science department,

WES,

June 2024.
 Good luck,

Science department,

WES,

June 2024.