A Study On Strategies For Developing The Power Of Observation In Science Education

Scientific observation plays an important role in scientific research, through which researchers may find the facts and construct scientific hypothesis. It may also broaden the research area and find another way to do research. Scientific observation is useful in promoting students'passion in inquiry, through which the students may conceive new questions, which may also promote students'motivation in study. Scientific observation is an effective way to develop scientific competence. It doesn't connote collective a series of facts, and requires observers to get the main characters of the objects. In the process, the students have already involved in a lot of thinking activities which must promote their thinking skills. Scientific observation should be paid much more attention in science classroom. Then build a solid foundation for the students'future scientific research.Based on the idea that scientific observation is not just "seeing", first, this research analyzes the nature and complexity of scientific observation, which reveals that it is not an isolate process and plays an important role in scientific research. It is highly related to the objectivity and meaning of the research. Students'theoretical knowledge and experience is vitally important in scientific observation. Then, through the literature review of scientific philosophy research, scientists biography, educational researches in this area, this research gets the characteristics of scientific observation, which are theoretical influence, objectivity, planning, observation record, reasonable explanation, good disposition and thinking in the process of observation. Taking these characteristics as dimensions, the research combines the questionnaire with the formal teacher interview and informal student interview and the classroom observations, investigates the status quo of the students'scientific observation in science classes. The investigation shows following results. In the process of scientific observation, students'practice lacks of planning. Students can not make the observation record objectively. Students tend to involve personal inference and imagination in the observational statements. Students don't ask questions frequently and they are easily influenced by the outside environment. Not all the students involved themselves in the observational activities in science classes. The teacher interviews and the class observation reveal that the students' observations are teacher-led. The teachers realize the importance of scientific observation in students'development, but they do not realize its complexity.Based on the theory of Vygotsky's social constructivism and teaching is ahead of student development. This essay, according to the investigation results, analyzes the factors that influence the development of students'competence in scientific observation, which are the students'habits of attention, previous knowledge and experience, teachers'opinions on scientific observation and the outside context. Then, propose some strategies to promote the students'development in scientific observation. First, help science teachers realize the complexity of scientific observation. Second, guide students to make scientific notice and inference. Third, promote students to make scientific observation record. Last but not least, lead students to differentiate observational statement and inference. This research focuses on promoting science teachers' awareness of problems in developing students'observational skills and proposing corresponding strategies for reference.