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Makale Özeti:
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Internationally, learning science through investigation is promoted as a preferred
pedagogical approach. Research presented takes a view that such learning depends on
how teachers understand science investigation. Teachers‘ understanding of science
investigation was an aspect of an interpretive case study of the phenomenon of science
investigation exploring the links between learning, motivation and assessment in year 11
science. Data were collected through a population survey of year 11 science teachers
(n=165) in the greater Wellington region through a postal questionnaire (response rate
61%). In addition, all year 11 science teachers in a typical coeducational, middle size,
urban secondary school were interviewed (n=10). Findings suggest that science
investigation that best supported student learning was understood to include
experiments, scientific method, and fair testing, and that few teachers demonstrated
understanding of an open-ended science investigation. Teachers‘ responses indicated the
influence of assessment requirements of a linear and sequential fair testing type of
investigation. This has implications for teaching investigation as required by the
curriculum, and student learning for assessment rather than an understanding of the
nature of scientific investigation.
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