Steps of the Scientific Method

A teacher who knows the steps can guide students through real scientific investigation.

The full step-by-step process

Presents the scientific method as a sequence of steps. Each builds on the previous.

Step 1: Ask a question

The scientific method begins with a question. Without a question, there is nothing to investigate.

The question comes from curious observation. Something the student noticed prompts the question.

For the emergency light example:

The observation: the emergency light is not working.

The question: why is the emergency light not working?

This is a real question worth investigating.

Step 2: Do background research

After asking, the student should research what is already known. They look at:

1. Books on the topic.
2. Articles or research.
3. Experts who know about the area.
4. Their own prior experience.

The student remembers prior experience. This is informal background research. They have learned from a similar past situation.

For more complex problems, formal research is needed:

1. Reading scientific journals.
2. Consulting experts.
3. Reviewing historical data.

A student who skips background research often duplicates known work or pursues already-disproven hypotheses.

Step 3: Construct a hypothesis

A hypothesis is an educated guess. The “educated” part matters. The guess is informed by background research, not random.

Properties of a good hypothesis:

1. Specific. Not vague.
2. Testable. Can be checked through experiment.
3. Falsifiable. Some evidence would disprove it.
4. Connected to evidence. Based on prior knowledge or research.

For the emergency light: “The battery is damaged” is specific, testable, falsifiable, and connected to past experience.

Step 4: Test with an experiment

The student designs and runs an experiment to test the hypothesis.

The student replaces the battery. This is the experiment. If the hypothesis is right (the battery was the problem), the light should now work. If wrong, it should still not work.

Designing experiments requires identifying variables and constants and running multiple trials.

Step 5: Analyze the results

After the experiment, the student analyzes what happened.

The result: the light works.

Analysis means making sense of results. What happened? What does it mean?

For complex experiments:

1. Compare results to predictions.
2. Look for patterns in data.
3. Note unexpected results.
4. Consider alternative explanations.

Step 6: Draw a conclusion

Based on the analysis, the student draws a conclusion.

For the emergency light:

The hypothesis was supported. The conclusion: damaged batteries cause emergency lights to fail.

If the result had been different (battery replaced, light still does not work), the conclusion would be: the battery was not the problem. A new hypothesis is needed.

Step 7-8: Report or repeat

Two paths:

If the hypothesis is supported: Report results. Communicate to others. The investigation is complete.

If the hypothesis is rejected: Construct a new hypothesis. Test again. Continue until a hypothesis is supported.

A rejected hypothesis is not failure. It is information. It tells the researcher: “Not this; try something else.”

Edison’s 1800 attempts

Thomas Edison tested over 1800 different hypotheses while developing the light bulb. Each failed.

When asked why he did not give up, Edison reportedly said:

Each rejected hypothesis was information. Edison was not failing 1800 times. He was learning 1800 things that did not work. This narrowed the search until he found what did work.

A scientist (or student) who fears rejection of hypotheses cannot do science. A scientist who treats rejection as information continues productively.

This is a critical lesson for students. Many students fear being wrong. The scientific method requires getting comfortable with being wrong, often.

Flashcard

What are the steps of the scientific method?

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Answer

Question, research, hypothesis, experiment, analyze, conclude, report or repeat

1. Ask a question from curious observation.
2. Do background research.
3. Construct a hypothesis (educated guess).
4. Test the hypothesis with an experiment.
5. Analyze the results.
6. Draw a conclusion.
7. If supported, report the results.
8. If rejected, build a new hypothesis and run the cycle again.

The advanced organizer view

Presents the scientific method as a flowchart. This is an advanced organizer that shows the full process visually.

Ask a question
 |
Do background research
 |
Construct a hypothesis
 |
Test with an experiment
 |
Analyze results
 |
Draw a conclusion
 |
Is hypothesis true?
 |-- Yes -> Report results
 |-- No -> Construct new hypothesis (back to step 3)

A teacher can show this diagram to students. The visual representation helps them see the cycle. They understand that science is iterative, not one-shot.

Eight steps in text are eight separate items in working memory. The same eight in a flowchart take up less working memory because the structure carries some of the information.

Visual presentation helps students grasp and remember the method.