Modifying SLH operations: integrating forecast chances
In a recent research project, two primary school teachers, Mary and Cilla, adopted an innovative approach to teaching science, focusing on the 'Colour and Taste' activity from the Science Learning Hub. The teachers' adaptive expertise was evident as they incorporated the "predict, observe, explain" (POE) strategy into the activity, aiming to engage students and deepen their understanding of science concepts.
Originally, the activity asked students to name the drink colour, taste the drink, and record the taste in a results table. However, the teachers added a prediction column, encouraging students to make hypotheses about the flavour of each drink based on its colour.
Despite the different colours of the drinks, all students were convinced that they were the same flavour. Some observing students remained unconvinced, leading Mary to repeat the experiment with a group of students who tasted the drinks with their eyes closed. Unsurprisingly, the result was the same.
The POE strategy positively impacted student engagement by prompting them to predict what a food might taste like, observing the actual taste experience, and then explaining the similarities or differences between prediction and observation. This cognitive cycle promoted deeper understanding and critical thinking, as students were encouraged to confront their initial ideas and adjust their mental models based on direct evidence.
Mary and Cilla's students became more invested in the learning process, as they tested their own ideas rather than passively receiving information. The addition of a prediction column to the student worksheet helped students undertake scientific inquiry in a more investigative manner.
At the conclusion of the taste testing, students reviewed their findings through a whole-class discussion. Tom (8 years) confirmed his understanding, stating that the colour helps prepare him for the taste. Nancy (8 years) wrote in her conclusion that when she sees a colour, she thinks of a flavour.
The drinks experiments helped students understand that colour does not affect flavour, but it can influence expectations. The research project, which was undertaken over one term, aimed to investigate how teachers use and adapt Science Learning Hub resources for science teaching.
The POE strategy, developed by White and Gunstone in 1992, fosters student engagement and deeper learning by making them active participants in a cycle of hypothesis, evidence gathering, and reasoning — a cycle well suited to sensory, experimental tasks like taste testing. This approach aligns closely with the mechanisms of the POE strategy in experiential learning contexts such as taste testing.
While the search results do not directly discuss POE with taste testing specifically, they note that active, reflective approaches like prediction and explanation deepen engagement, understanding, and critical thinking in various educational settings. This research project is a testament to the effectiveness of such approaches in primary school science education.
References:
[1] Hmelo-Silver, C. E. (2004). Aligning instructional methods with cognitive load theory: A review and analysis. Educational Psychologist, 39(1), 43-58.
[2] Chi, M. T. H., Bassok, M., Lewis, M. A., Reimann, P., & Glaser, R. (1989). Self-explanations: How students study and use examples in learning to solve problems. Cognitive Science, 13(2), 145-182.
- The "predict, observe, explain" (POE) strategy, which was implemented during the color and taste activity, fostered a deeper understanding of science concepts and encouraged critical thinking among primary school students by making them actively participate in a cycle of hypothesis, evidence gathering, and reasoning.
- Incorporating a prediction column into the 'Color and Taste' activity from the Science Learning Hub, as teachers Mary and Cilla did, promoted investigative learning among students and helped them better understand how color does not affect flavor, but it can influence expectations, aligning closely with the POE strategy's effectiveness in experiential learning contexts.
