Identifying and Managing Uncertainty in Science Practices: How "Not Knowing" Drives Scientific Inquiry

• In Event: Poster Session 5
  In Poster Session: Science Teaching and Learning SIG Poster Session

Abstract

How do we know what we think we know? And, to what degree are we certain? Uncertainty plays a critical role within scientific inquiry. Uncertainty drives knowledge generation as it is identified, tended to and reduced. While scientific inquiry in classrooms has been promoted through science education reform over the past thirty years, the role of uncertainty remains largely unaddressed. However, research demonstrates that uncertainty is perceived as ignorance, which students often ignore, thereby bypassing important opportunities for learning. This paper investigates the role of uncertainty within a fourth grade citizen science project, in which students are engaged in authentic scientific research. Specifically, this paper questions how students learn about uncertainty and how it drives or impedes their learning.

Author

• Erin Marie Bird, University of Washington - Seattle