The Disney Group
Monica, Christina, Eric
CBSE 3203 TZ4
Fall 2015
Assignment #6, Scientific Method
The Scientific Method is a unique way of learning. “It is a process used by scientists to study the
world around them. It can also be used to test whether any statement is accurate” (Biology4kids, 19972015).
When using the scientific method, you begin by asking a question, and then creating an
experiment testing whether or not the statement made from these questions was accurate. These
statements made are educated guesses called hypotheses. These guesses are statements made with little
observations without any experimental evidence. By asking questions, and testing statements, you are
able to discover new things, as well as building on what has already been learned before. Once you have
conducted an experiment to test you hypothesis, you need to make a prediction about your experiment.
You will then form a series of procedures you are going to take in order to complete this experiment.
Within these procedures is it crucial that you make clear the controls of the experiment and explain what
it is you are trying to find out through this study. Through this process, it is important to record all data
or trials and errors that occur. These trials and errors are called observations. Your observations are
things you notice and take note of throughout the experiment. When discovering answers about an
experiment, it is crucial that evidence is provided to confirm these guesses. “The final step in the
scientific method is the conclusion. This is a summary of the experiment's results, and how those results
match up to your hypothesis” (ScienceMadeSimple 2006-2014).
It is clear that after an experiment is complete that you have a handful of results, but it is important
to remember that you can not prove an the hypothesis with one single experiment. This is because there
is a chance that a mistake has occurred throughout the experiment. In conclusion, through this
experiment you are able to test whether your prediction matched your hypothesis or not.
Two very important people that have used this method of conducting an experiment are, Jean
Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. Both are well known in the educational field as educational theorists. In order
to create their theories, they had to conduct an experiment, and test their predictions. Piaget conducted
the Stages of cognitive development, which include 4 stages ranging from birth to adulthood. The first
stage is Sensorimotor (Birth-2 years), which is when one can differentiates self from objects. The second
is Pre-operational (2-7 years), when one learns to use language and to represent objects by images and
words. Next, Concrete operational (7-11 years), when one can think logically about objects and events,
and lastly, Formal operational (11 years and up), when one can think logically about abstract propositions
and test hypotheses systematically. “Unlike Piaget's notion that children’s' development must necessarily
precede their learning, Vygotsky argued, "learning is a necessary and universal aspect of the process of
developing culturally organized, specifically human psychological function" (Saul McLeod,
Simplypsychology 2014)”. Through Vygotsky’s experiments, he conducted a theory of 8 different social
developmental stages differing from Piaget.
Work Cited
"Reasoning in Science." Biology4Kids.com: Scientific Studies: Scientific Method. N.p., n.d. Web.
27 Oct. 2015.
"The Scientific Methodby Science Made Simple." The Scientific Method. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct.
2015.
"Piaget." 's Developmental Theory. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Oct. 2015.
McLeod, Saul. "Lev Vygotsky." SimplyPsychology. Developmental Psychology, 2007. Web.
2014.