LESSON 1
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD:
AN ONGOING PROCESS
Scientific Attitudes and Behaviour
• CURIOSITY – A person who is curious does not only ask why and
how things happen.
• OPEN-MINDEDNESS – this is the ability of a person to be
receptive to new ideas and information.
• CRITICAL OUTLOOK – a person who has a critical outlook does
not readily believe statements for or against a person, a
commercial or an idea.
• TRUTHFULNESS – a person who is truthful has a passion for
investigating and experimenting, is honest in recording and
reporting observations, takes a stand on what he/she believes is
true, but readily admits a mistakes if proven wrong.
• PERSEVERANCE – a person who is patient and perseverance
never gives up in solving problems and is willing to experiment
again and again.
Scientific Method
is an ongoing process of discovering and
answering a problem.
involves a series of steps that
are used to investigate a natural occurrence.
The concept of scientific method was introduced
by Aristotle.
• Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)
• He was a Greek
Philosopher who had a
great interest in science.
He recorded all his
scientific observations
about the environment,
some of which were about
marine life and earth
sciences.
• Socrates (c. 470-399
B.C.) was another
Greek philosopher who
is best known for his
method of asking
questions.
• Socratic questioning is
different from just
merely questioning
because it is
systematic, disciplined,
and focused.
PROCEDURE
TECHNIQUE
SYSTEM
PRACTICE
ROUTINE
METHOD OF WORKING
PROCESS
WAY
STRATEGY
7
SCIENTIFIC
METHOD 6
1
Report results
SCIENTIFIC
METHOD Draw conclusion
Record and analyse result
conduct an experiment
Develop a hypothesis
Come up with a question
Make observation
• Observation is one of the first steps in the
scientific method. It is the active acquiring or
collecting of information from a primary
source.
• The researcher/s conduct observation using
his/her 5 senses, it can also involve the use of
scientific instruments such as the microscope,
lenses, and telescope in the collection and
recording data.
Make Observation
• This is, when you ask a question about
something that you observe: How, What,
When, Who, Which, Why, or Where?
Example
1. Why is the sky blue?
2. How plant grow?
3. What is the universe made of?
4. What makes us human?
Come up with a Question
• It is the preliminary answer to a scientific
problem and an attempt at explaining what
has been observed.
• It is an “educated guess”
• Hypothesis should be always have at least one
other alternative hypothesis.
NULL HYPOTHESIS
ALTERNATIVE HYPOTHESIS
Develop a Hypothesis
the null hypothesis is the hypothesis, which is to
be actually tested, whereas alternative
hypothesis gives an alternative to the null
hypothesis.
Example
Null hypothesis: Goji berries have no effect on
the health of adult women.
Alternative hypothesis: Goji berries have a
positive effect on the health of adult women.
The hypothesis should be tested to check
its validity and reliability.
• is a set of actions and observations, performed in
the context of solving a particular problem or
question, to support or falsify a hypothesis or
research concerning phenomena.
• Four components that affect the results of an
experiment: CONTROL, INDEPENDENT VARIABLE,
DEPENDENT VARIABLE and CONSTATNT
• Experimentation can be repeated and refined
until such time that the hypothesis is either
rejected or acccepted.
Conduct an Experiment
• CONTROL
A control is a standard or a group of
standards that the other experimental groups are
compared to. It is a metric used to determine
whether results are positive are negative due to
the experiment.
For example
In an experiment testing the effectiveness of a sleep-inducing
pill, there are ideally two identical groups.
One group, the experimental while the other does not. The
group, receives the drug group that does not receive
treatment. the drug is the control group.
For example
In an experiment testing the effectiveness of a sleep-inducing
pill, there are ideally two identical groups.
One group, the experimental while the other does not. The
group, receives the drug group that does not receive
treatment. the drug is the control group.
Comparison of the two would tell you
whether results are due to the drug treatment
or not. If the experimental group feels sleepy
after taking the pill, and the control group does
not, sleepiness may be due to the drug.
• INDEPENDENT VARIABLE
An independent variable refers to the
variable that has been changed to get the desired
response. In the case of the sleep-inducing pill, an
independent variable is the dosage of the drug
that the different groups receive. The results can
then be compared to determine whether the
dosage has an effect on the result.
• DEPENDENT VARIABLE
The dependent variable refers to the
variable that is being observed. In the sleep-
inducing pill, the dependent variable is how
sleepy the different groups will be after taking
the pill.
• CONSTANT
The constant is something that does not
change in all of the groups that undergo the
experiment. In the sleep-inducing pill
experiment, constant can be the groups’ initial
weight or height.
• Researcher/s analyse and interpret the data
obtained in conducting experiment.
• Analysis of the data or results of the experiment
enables the researcher/s to list down their findings.
2 Types of data
1. Quantitative data is expressed in numbers and
graphs and is analyzed through statistical methods.
2. Qualitative data is expressed in words and analyzed
through interpretations and categorizations.
Record and Analyse
Result
• The conclusion phase is where you take all the
data you’ve gathered through observation and
experimentation and measure it against your
hypothesis.
• The result of the experiment is based on the
analyses made on the several data obtained in
the experiment.
Draw Conclusion
• Present your result.
The result of the experiment is based on the
analyses made on the several data obtained in
the experiment.
Report results
