ERIC Number: EJ1127878
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 9
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9266
EISSN: N/A
Discussing the Need of Experimental Replication with 5th Grade Students Conducting a Mealworm Experiment
Journal of Biological Education, v51 n1 p17-25 2017
Scientific inquiry requires the replication of results in experimental studies. Recent studies draw a severe picture on the need of replication and the difficulties in replicating already published studies. As replicated confirmation of results is the basis of scientific and medical research, there may be a need to introduce the topic of replication to students. In an experiment, 5th grade students tested the effect of yeast addition on biomass increase in mealworm larvae. Each student took care of one larva on flour and one larva on flour + yeast (in total n = 30 larvae per treatment) in separate small boxes. After the experiment, students discussed the results of their two larvae. Subsequent pooling of the data in class showed a high degree of variation. When asked why replication in this experiment was important, students revealed a generally good epistemic understanding of the issue of replication and offered several explanations for why replication matters in experimentation.
Descriptors: Replication (Evaluation), Science Experiments, Biology, Science Instruction, Elementary School Science, Grade 5, Elementary School Students, Foreign Countries
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 5; Intermediate Grades; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Germany
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A