Children as experimenters

In science education the nature and value of science laboratory activities are the subject of critical debate. We believe a better understanding of what students do and think while purposefully engaged with materials will provide insights. The intent of this study is to explore elementary students’ actions and the knowledge they use while conducting an investigative task. Eight grade 4 and eight grade 7 students participated in the study. The problem and the materials within the task invoked a selection of knowledge schemes from the students’ personal repertoires. This knowledge appears to have included: models of magnetism and ‘strength'; procedures and specific strategies that prescribe how to find a solution. Our findings document ways the students comprehended the problem, what they manipulated, how they monitored what they observed, how they interpreted the results, and the strategies they used for deciding on a conclusion.