JoinWhat Should Students Learn About the Nature of Science and How Should We Teach It? Applying the "If-And-Then-Therefore" Pattern to Develop Students' Theoretical Reasoning Abilities in Science
Teaching in ways that help students understand the nature of science and how to use scientific reasoning patterns have long been central goals of science education. This article attempts to explicate the basic pattern of scientific reasoning, show how the pattern has been used to answer a wide range of scientific questions, and argue that sequencing instruction that focuses on that reasoning pattern helps students better understand the nature of science and use scientific reasoning in and beyond the classroom.