On Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:26:45 -0500, Mike Raiford wrote:

> On 9/29/2011 2:04 PM, Jim Henderson wrote:
>> What's missing from most education these days is teaching of the
>> scientific method.  Teaching students scientific facts just gives
>> students something else to believe in.  Teaching how those facts were
>> determined to be most likely true (and what process exists to allow
>> that to change to "you know what, we were wrong about that") is more
>> important than the facts themselves.
>>
>>
> I thought they still pretty much do that. Granted real scientists don't
> follow the steps with absolute rigor. They may form an idea of what they
> think should happen, then test by experimentation, record their results,
> then try to repeat the results, then have peers repeat the results.

That happens in some classrooms, but it's not as widespread as it should 
be.

And we wonder why US students "fail" at math & science in the real world.

> But I doubt they are as formal as:
> 
>      Define a question
>      Gather information and resources (observe) Form an explanatory
>      hypothesis
>      Test the hypothesis by performing an experiment and collecting data
> in a reproducible manner
>      Analyze the data
>      Interpret the data and draw conclusions that serve as a starting
> point for new hypothesis
>      Publish results
>      Retest (frequently done by other scientists)
> 
> Some, and maybe all of that is happening, but it isn't done by filling
> out scientific method worksheets like I had to do in school.

I'm sure it isn't.

>> In short, a skill that isn't taught often enough is that of critical
>> thinking.
> 
> Definitely. Rote memorization teaches nothing, except how to memorize.

Exactly, and primary school is supposed to (or should be) be about 
learning how to learn rather than how to memorize.

Jim

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