Deductive VS. Inductive

The Chapter Generating and Testing Hypotheses discussed two generalizations that can guide the use of hypothesis generation and testing in the classroom;

1. Hypothesis generation and testing can be approached in a more inductive or deductive manner. 

• Inductive- the process of drawing new conclusion based on information we know or are presented with.
• Inductive reasoning is a great tool to use in a math class.  The Algebra II class that I co-teach utilizes this technique rather often.  The teacher presents students with new information, and from that information (along with information that they have already mastered) they are asked to solve the problem.  Students are typically able to apply/combine previously learned concepts and new concepts to solve the problem. 
• Deductive- the process of using a general rule to make a prediction about a future action or event.  
• Deductive reasoning is used quite frequently in the science/lab setting.  Students are asked to use prior knowledge to make hypotheses on the outcome of a particular event-typically a lab.  Students are then asked to explain why/how they came up with a particular hypothesis.  They then test their hypothesis and record their results.  Finally students are asked to analyze results and compare the results to the initial hypothesis- Was your hypothesis correct?  Why/why not?...
• I don't teach/co-teach in the English setting, however, deductive reasoning is also used a lot when reading.  Students should be able to make predictions about the outcome of an event based on the information previously stated, and information that is already known. 

2. Teachers should ask students to clearly explain their hypotheses and their conclusions.

• Again, in the science/lab setting students are asked to use prior knowledge to make hypotheses on the outcome of a particular event-typically a lab.  Students are then asked to explain why/how they came up with a particular hypothesis.  They then test their hypothesis and record their results.  Finally students are asked to analyze results and compare the results to the initial hypothesis- Was your hypothesis correct?  Why/why not?...

This chapter also discussed how generating and testing hypotheses can be used in decision making.  Being a Special Educator (and a high school teacher!) I have come to realize, and accept, the fact that many high school/SPED students are very impulsive in their decision making.   This chapter suggests the following framework to help guide them through decision making tasks (This would also be great for choosing a college!!):

1. Describe the decision you are making and the alternatives you are considering. 
2. Identify the criteria that will influence the selection and indicate the relative importance of the criteria by assigning an importance score from a designated scale.
3. Rate each alternative on a designated scale to indicate the extent to which each alternative meets each criterion.  

This book gave me some really great insight, and new strategies to utilize in my classroom!  It's a great resource to keep around the office!!  I hope this is something that we can continue to study next year with the same book or a new one!

May/June - Generating and Testing Hypotheses

The last chapter that will be covered this year from the Research-Based Strategies from the book will be Generating and Testing Hypotheses. As the authors state, generating and testing hypotheses is something students naturally do when they start to apply knowledge. In the classroom, utilizing activities that involve generating and testing hypotheses can be an excellent tool in incorporating higher-order thinking into a lesson.

Throughout the chapter, the authors provide several "structured tasks" that can be used in activities that involved generating and testing hypotheses: Systems Analysis, Problem Solving, Historical Investigation, Invention, Experimental Inquiry, and Decision Making. Based on what you have read throughout the chapter, please share examples of how you plan to, or have already, incorporated tasks in the classroom that involve generating and testing hypotheses specific to your content area.

In my U.S.I History class, the students are often asked to predict the outcomes of certain historical events based on underlying information that they already know. The students are able to generate their hypothesis, and then compare it to what actually happened and reflecting on the differences and similarities. For example, this past month the students have been studying the Civil War, specifically the outbreak of the war at Fort Sumter. Abraham Lincoln, was struggling with a predicament when it came to what would be the appropriate action when dealing with the fort, which was falling into Confederate. The students were tasked with predicting what they thought Lincoln would do, based on what they already knew about him, the Union, the Confederacy, and the United States. The task allowed the students to think critically about a historical situation, as well as to come to an understanding of why their prediction/hypothesis agreed or disagreed with what actually happened.