INTRODUCTION TO SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION

LESSON

6.1 THE SCIENTIFIC

Time Frame: 30 Min.
METHOD
Time Allotted: 1 min Actual Time: __________

At the end of this module, you should be able to enumerate and describe the steps in the
Scientific Method.

Time Allotted: 3 min Actual Time: __________

Have you ever wondered how scientists work on their ideas? Or, how do they turn their brilliant
ideas into inventions? Humans are generally curious. This human quality motivated us to explore
and to understand our surroundings. Curiosity and motivation have been the two strong driving forces
that brought explanations of how we understand the world today. Over two thousand years ago,
natural philosophers, as they were called because their understanding came only from reasoning and
not based on experimental evidence, believed that diseases are the punishments of God. This belief,
however, was disputed by Hippocrates after studying the human body and finding out the reasons
behind the diseases.

The industrial revolution has brought a new wave of illnesses. As a consequence, a greater demand
for better treatments and patient care arose. With this, technological advancements and innovations
aimed at making diagnosis and treatments more accurate, easier, and more accessible emerged.
Advancements such as the use of surgical robots during operations, of scanners to spot tumors, and
of genomic medicine have allowed personalized treatment and clinical care and with higher accuracy
(Marr, 2019).

Despite the comfort advancements in science have brought us, we should still be on the lookout as
there are still a lot of things to be discovered and more phenomena to be explained.

Can you think of a problem in your life right now that needs to be solved? How do you plan to solve
this problem?

Time Allotted: 18 min Actual Time: __________

The scientific method is a technique utilized by scientists to explain or understand a certain

phenomenon or event. It aims to provide explanations on why and how things happen in the natural
world.

The scientific method involves a series of methods aimed towards disclosing or explaining a
particular problem or a natural occurrence.
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Learning Guide 6.1
The Scientific Method

Step 1: Making Observations and Formulations Scientific Questions

The first steps in solving problems or understanding phenomena scientifically is to observe what is
happening using the five senses and to formulate scientific questions about what you have seen,
heard, tasted, smelled, and felt. Keep in mind that scientific questions must be testable. These are
questions about objects, organisms, or phenomena that can be answered by measuring and analyzing
data gathered through experimentation. In short, scientific questions should lead to actual
investigations and not to a philosophical journey.

Figure 1: Making Observation

Image from: Science Matters Vol. A (2008)

Step 2: Forming a Hypothesis

The second step of the scientific method is to propose a hypothesis to the problem identified. A
hypothesis is an educated guess, a possible answer to the question, a possible solution to the problem
or an explanation of what you expect to happen. A hypothesis is based on thorough observations and
logical thought of what has been observed. A good hypothesis is something that is testable or
something that can be confirmed or disproved through experimentation. It should include controlled
and manipulated variables.

Figure 2: Forming A Hypothesis

Image from: Science Matters Vol. A (2008)

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Learning Guide 6.1
Step 3: Experimenting and Collecting Data

The third step of the scientific method is testing your predictions or hypotheses. To do this, you might
need to do more observations. You may also need some apparatus, equipment, tools, and a valid and
standard procedure in order to confirm or disprove your hypothesis or hypotheses. In an experiment
all factors and conditions must be controlled to maintain internal and external validity. Experimenting
involves stages. The first stage of conducting an experiment is to specify the sample groups. The
sample groups should be large enough to give a statistically viable study, but small enough to be
practical. They should also be randomly selected for the results to represent the population as a whole.
The second stage of conducting an experiment is to randomly divide the sample groups into a control
and test group. The control and test group must be identical except for the factor being investigated.
The third stage is to determine the time scale and frequency of sampling. The frequency of sampling
must be fit to the type of experiment being conducted. For example, sampling for antibiotic resistance
study should be more frequent than that of testing a cure for Parkinson’s disease. The fourth stage is
the conduct of the experiment following the methods identified during the design phase. The
independent variable is manipulated to generate meaningful data for the dependent variable. For
example, if you want to determine the effect of fertilizer on the growth of plants, the independent
variable would be the amount of fertilizer added to plants while the dependent variable is the change
in the height of the plants given that all other factors are held constant.

Figure 3: Experimentation
Image from: Science Matters Vol. A (2008)

Step 4: Analyzing Data

Once your experiment is complete, you collect your measurements and analyze them to see if your
hypothesis is true or false. Oftentimes, scientists apply statistical tests to the results to help decide in
an impartial manner if the results obtained are valid (meaningful; fit with other knowledge), reliable
(give the same results repeatedly), and show cause-and-effect, or if they are just results of random
events (Tillery, 2015).

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Learning Guide 6.1
 Figure 4.1: Making More Observations
Image from: Science Matters Vol. A (2008)

Figure 4.2: Making More Observations

Image from: Science Matters Vol. A (2008)

Step 5: Drawing a Conclusion

This is the point in the scientific investigation when you give a conclusion, a solution or answer to
the problem based on the collected and analyzed data. If you’re lucky and your data supports your
hypothesis, then the hypothesis may be the explanation for your problem. However, multiple trials
must be done to confirm the result. It is important that the procedure generates a consistent result for
it to be valid. If the data do not support the hypothesis, then more observations must be made, a new
hypothesis must be formed, and the scientific method may be used all over again. Even if they find
that their hypothesis was true, they may want to test it again in a new way.

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Learning Guide 6.1
 Figure 5: Making More Observations
Image from: Science Matters Vol. A (2008)

Step 6: Communicating Findings and Results

The scientific method does not stop with drawing a conclusion to the question or problem. It is also
important that the findings of the conducted scientific investigation be shared to the scientific
community. Scientists do this by sharing their findings with their peers or by publishing their results
in scientific journals. Sometimes, results may be challenged, questioned, or critiqued by other
scientists or they may also serve as basis for another scientific problem.

When conducting a scientific investigation, it is very important to keep a journal containing all of
your important ideas and information about the experimentation.

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Learning Guide 6.1
 Time Allotted: 6 min Actual Time: __________

Non-Graded Formative Assessment: Let’s check what you have learned.

Follow your teacher’s instructions regarding this activity.

1. An educated guess to explain a phenomenon is a(an):

a. science c. hypothesis
b. findings d. experiment

2. The steps used by scientists to solve problems and uncover facts is the _____.

a. trial method c. scientific method

b. testing method d. system method

3. How do you check whether the data supports or contradicts your hypothesis?
a. analyze the data c. design the experiment
b. predict the outcome d. modify the experiment

4. The first step in the scientific method is _____.

a. observing c. making prediction
b. hypothesizing d. gathering information

5. What is the correct order of steps in the scientific method?

a. ask a question, analyze the results, make a hypothesis, draw conclusions, communicate
results
b. ask a question, make a hypothesis, test the hypothesis, draw conclusions, analyze the results,
communicate results
c. ask question to make a hypothesis, test the hypothesis, analyze results, draw conclusions,
communicate results
d. make hypothesis, test the hypothesis, analyze the results, ask a question, draw conclusions,
communicate results

Time Allotted: 2 min Actual Time: __________

Scientific method is an evidence-based method for answering questions. It relies on empirical data,
is evidence-based, and involves repeatable tests to discover the truth.

The essential idea and concept of the scientific method is that scientists answer questions and
investigate hypotheses for probable solutions using valid and standard procedures. It allows
scientists from all over the world to test each other’s work to ensure that the existing results are
correct.

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Learning Guide 6.1
 Biology Dictionary. Retrieved from
https://biologydictionary.net/scientific-method/#examples-of-the-scientific-method

Fong, et.al., Science Matters (n.d.) Vol.A. Marshall Cavendish Education.

Marr, Bernard. (2019) The biggest Technology Trends That Will Transform Medicine and
Healthcare In 2020 Retrieved from:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2019/11/01/the-9-biggest-technology-trends-
that-will- transform-medicine-and-healthcare-in-2020/#67a81aa172cd

Tillery et.al., Integrated Science, Sixth Edition, 2015, McGraw Hill, The McGraw Hill Companies,
Inc.,1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

The Spruce. Inventions and Discoveries of Ancient Greek Scientists from

https://www.thoughtco.com/ancient-greek-scientists-inventions-and-discoveries-120966

Why Is The Scientific Method Important. (2020, April 17).

https://www.reference.com/science/scientific-method-important-e1ac2c0d5b696f1

Prepared by Reviewed by Approved by

Ruel B. Barbosa Suzette A. Palicte Alice C. Manuel

Special Science Teacher I Special Science Teacher IV Special Science Teacher IV
Eastern Visayas Campus Southern Mindanao Campus Cagayan Valley Campus

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Learning Guide 6.1
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