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IKIT team: Carl Bereiter, Maria Chuy, Fleur Prinsen, Monica Resendes, and Chris Teplovs Institute for Knowledge Innovation and Technology (IKIT), Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) – University of Toronto
Research indicates that students are more likely to see and experience science as the methodical collection of data and the testing of variables one at a time to see which ones have an effect. Such a limited conception provides little motivation to pursue scientific careers, to support investment in science, or to make wise use of its findings.
The research reported here directly tackled students’ understanding of the nature of science and scientific progress. Experts in the field have conjectured, albeit with little evidence, that the most-effective approach would be a “theory-building” approach. This research tested an explicit theory-building approach known as Knowledge Building which encourages students to take high-level responsibility for producing increasingly deep explanations of phenomena and mechanisms they are exploring, with focus on collective responsibility for improving ideas.
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