Strategies that Work: Generating Hypotheses

1. Strategies that Work: Generating Hypotheses ED557 - Group 20 Siglinda Smoak, Sabrina Vaseleck & Shannon Plantinga http://ed557-group20.wikispaces.com/

2. A Hypothesesis … • A logical supposition, a reasonable guess, an educated conjecture. It provides a tentative explanation for a phenomenon under investigation. • Important because it guides the research. • Never proved or disproved. • Driven by the research question. • A means using a general rule to make a prediction by employing strategies that work best. Whether a hypothesis is induced or deduced, teachers should encourage students to clearly explain their hypotheses and conclusions.

3. Strategies for Generating Hypothesis • Good questions make better hypotheses. Teach students how to frame a good question. Help them narrow their inquiry to a topic they can reasonably explore. • Ask for explanations. Encourage students to explain their hypotheses or predictions aloud. This will prompt them to explain their understanding underlying concepts, giving you a window into their understanding.

4. Strategies for Generating Hypothesis • Watch for (and mediate) misconceptions. If students are basing a prediction on a false premise or conceptual misunderstanding, set up activities to challenge their thinking. • Scaffold investigations. Structure their learning experience to maximize results. Provide them with a framework for investigating. • Use role play. Acting out characters or agents prompts students to make predictions. Based on what they know about their role, how will their character react? How will the agent interact with other agents?

5. Strategies for Generating Hypothesis • Highlight patterns and connections. Help students recognize patterns in their findings. Show them how to transform raw data into graphs or other visual representations that will help them see patterns and make connections. • Use questioning strategies. Ask questions throughout the inquiry cycle—when students are posing questions, while they are investigating, when they analyzing results or presenting conclusions. At each stage, challenge them to explain their reasoning and defend results.

6. Tips for Helping Students Generate Hypothesis • Provide a means for reporting work. • Provide sentence stems to help articulate explanations. • Make audio tapes of students explaining their hypothesis and conclusions. • Reinforce writing skills and vocabulary with written recording to reinforce work. • Provide rubrics so students know criteria on which they will be evaluated for their explanations.

7. References Marzano, R., Pickering, E., & Pollock, J. (2005). Retrieved on April 6, 2012 from the Integrating Technology into the Classroom using Instructional Strategies Web site: http://www.tltguide.ccsd.k12.co.us/instructional_tools/Strategies/Strategies.html#testing Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (2005). Retrieved on April 6, 2010 from the Focus on Effectiveness Web site: http://www.netc.org/focus/strategies/gene.php Varlas. L. (2002). Retrieved on April 6, 2010 from the Getting Acquainted with the Essential Nine Web site: http://www.middleweb.com/MWLresources/marzchat1.html Stanbrough, J. (August 31, 2009). What is a Hypothesis? Retrieved on April 10, 2010 from Mr. Stanbrough’sWeb site: http://www.batesville.k12.in.us/physics/phynet/aboutscience/hypotheses.html Leedy, Paul. D, and Ormrod, Jeanne E. (2001). Practical Research: Planning and Design. (7th Ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.