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The GIsML Project > Heuristic > Phases of Instruction > Constructing & Evaluating Explanations
Phases of Instruction
Constructing and Evaluating Explanations.
Constructing an explanation is an inductive analytic process that draws
upon one's own imagination and creativity. It is not a case of something
to be "discovered"; rather, it is more meaningfully thought
of as a case of something to be invented. It is likely during the initial
phases of the inquiry that students will begin to venture explanations.
When this happens, it is important for the teacher to guide students to
the recognition that explanations are tentative and that it is important
for them to keep examining their ideas in relation to the new contexts
that they explore, working toward constructing the best explanation they
can to account for the patterns that they 
identified.
This activity represents the theory- or model-generating phase of scientific
activity, and addresses the important "why" goal of science.
At some point, however, (when the teacher or the students judge that they
are ready), the class should formally discuss the explanations that have
been generated, and that is the purpose of this activity as a phase of
instruction. This is an opportunity for the teacher to model the norm
of science that explanations, models, and theories are evaluated with
respect to their adequacy in accounting for already identified patterns
as well as the possibility of predicting new ones (Duschl, 1990). It is
also important for students at some point in this phase to consider whether
there is accepted scientific knowledge that is relevant, and if so, what
it is and what it means. The difficult balance here is for teachers to
allow students freedom to build from their own understanding and construct
their own explanatory ideas while also finding out about currently accepted
scientific explanations and considering how they relate.
When
students construct explanations we cannot expect them to match what scientists
have constructed. This is especially true for young children or learners
who are new to exploring a particular aspect of the physical world. However,
we do not see this as problematic. Instead, we see it as an opportunity
to discuss the issues involved in determining the "power" or
worth of an explanation.
Once students have specific explanations for the patterns they have observed, they should become engaged in testing them. It may be possible for them to test the adequacy of their ideas by considering a new context in which the explanations may be relevant, and the common scientific approach to this would be to make predictions about what would happen in the new context if their explanation were valid, and conduct investigations to test those predictions. This is the last phase shown in the heuristic, and completes the cycle of activity in this approach. Our intent is not to suggest that this phase should be a part of all series of investigations, but that when feasible and appropriate, it should be experienced by students because this is an important part of the thinking process that occurs in establishing scientific knowledge.
Phases of Investigation: Engaging | Investigating | Reporting | Constructing & Evaluating
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