I am writing to draw attention to the scientific rationale currently being forced upon all maintained sector schools through the National Curriculum (NC) for Science Attainment Target 1 - Scientific Investigation.
It is expected that bright 14 year-olds should be able to design an experiment in which they manipulate two continuous variables in an attempt to determine which one has the greater effect on the process being investigated. Before they begin any practical work, the pupils must provide a detailed prediction of the results they expect.
Am I old fashioned, or is it not usual to investigate the effects of single variables whenever possible? Is the multiple variable approach to enquiry one which should be instilled to all pupils under the age of 16? Are there any tangible benefits, or are we simply running the risk of confusing our scientists of the future? Is it usual for experimenters to make ...
To continue reading this article, subscribe to receive access to all of newscientist.com, including 20 years of archive content.