The document discusses the scientific method, which is a series of steps that scientists follow to answer questions about the natural world through observation and experimentation. The key steps are: 1) making an observation, 2) asking a question about the observation, 3) formulating a hypothesis or predicted explanation, 4) designing and conducting an experiment to test the hypothesis, 5) analyzing the results, and 6) drawing a conclusion about whether the experiment supported or failed to support the hypothesis. The scientific method aims to systematically investigate natural phenomena through objective and empirical means to develop generalizable knowledge.

1. Scientific Method
Dr. Jaganmohana Rao Gurugubelli
Faculty of Education
MITE, Kohima

2. Introduction
The scientific method is a series of steps followed
by scientific investigators to answer specific questions
about the natural world.
It involves making observations, formulating a
hypothesis, and conducting scientific experiments.
Scientific inquiry starts with an observation followed by
the formulation of a question about what has been
observed.

3. What is the Scientific Method?
The scientific method is a process for
experimentation that is used to explore observations
and answer questions.
Scientific methods are defined as controlled,
systematic investigations that are rooted in objective
reality & that aim to develop general knowledge about
natural phenomena.

4. Characteristics of Scientific Method
 Scientific Method is the systematic processes.
 Scientists attempt to control external factors that are not under direct
investigation.
 Their findings are based on the empirical evidences.
 Findings of scientific methods can be generalized, which means that they
can be used in situations other than the one under study.
 Scientific methods are based on assumptions or hypothesis.
 They are basically conduced to develop or test hypothesis.

5. Steps of the Scientific Method
Observation
Preparation of Questions
Formulating Hypothesis
Experiment
Results
Conclusion

6. Observation
The first step of the scientific method involves
making an observation about something that
interests you. This is very important if you are doing
a science project because you want your project to be
focused on something that will hold your attention.
Your observation can be on anything from plant
movement to animal behavior, as long as it is
something you really want to know more about. This
is where you come up with the idea for your science
project.

7. Preparation of Questions
Once you've made your observation, you must
formulate a question about what you have observed.
Your question should tell what it is that you are
trying to discover or accomplish in your experiment.
When stating your question you should be as specific
as possible. For example, if you are doing a project on
plants, you may want to know how plants can
prepare food.

8. Formulating Hypothesis
The hypothesis is a key component of the scientific
process. A hypothesis is an idea that is suggested as an
explanation for a natural event, a particular experience,
or a specific condition that can be tested through
definable experimentation.
It states the purpose of your experiment, the
variables used, and the predicted outcome of your
experiment. It is important to note that a hypothesis
must be testable. That means that you should be able to
test your hypothesis through experimentation.

9. Experiment
Once you've developed a hypothesis, you must
design and conduct an experiment that will test it.
You should develop a procedure that states very
clearly how you plan to conduct your experiment. It
is important that you include and identify
a controlled variable or dependent variable in your
procedure. Controls allow us to test a single variable
in an experiment because they are unchanged. We
can then make observations and comparisons
between our controls and our independent
variables (things that change in the experiment) to
develop an accurate conclusion.

10. Analyze Results
The results are where you report what
happened in the experiment. That includes
detailing all observations and data made during
your experiment. Most people find it easier to
visualize the data by charting or graphing the
information.

11. Conclusion
The final step of the scientific method is
developing a conclusion. This is where all of the
results from the experiment are analyzed and a
determination is reached about the hypothesis. Did
the experiment support or reject your hypothesis? If
your hypothesis was supported, great. If not, repeat
the experiment or think of ways to improve your
procedure.

12. Merits of Scientific Method
By making use of this method, various specific kinds
of merits are being obtained by teacher as well as
students, mention of which are as follows:
An ability to propose and structure various kinds of
problems get developed among the students.
As students have to collect various kinds of information
from different sources, they learn to explore different
sources independently.
Students become able to formulate hypothesis on their
own. Not only this, they learn to test the hypothesis by
collecting and evaluating data on their own by which
hypothesis can be accepted or rejected.

13. As students learn to do different functions
independently, they become able to solve various kinds
of problems getting arise in their life on their own.
Level of self confidence gets developed among the
students as a result of which they become able to
perform efficiently in different spheres of the life.
As students have to perform the complex functions of
identifying the problem, conducting the experiment,
recording observations and drawing conclusions, thus
various kinds of skills get developed among them as a
result of which they become more confident and mature
in their perspective.

14. Demerits of Scientific Method
Although number of merits gets pursued by making use of
scientific method, but still it is not free from demerits, some of
which are as follows:
 This method can only be used by the teacher when he has enough
time for teaching purpose. However, this is not the case in most of
the schools
 Only intelligent and brilliant students can solve out the problem on
their own, but mental capacities of all the students getting
education in the same class differ as a result of which this method
cannot be used by teacher to impart education to different students.
 This method can only be used in schools or institutions where there
is provision of well-equipped laboratories, however, majority of
schools in our nation do not possess such kind of facilities.
 For this method, it is necessary to make provision of reference and
other kind of materials, which is not very easy for the teachers
especially in our nation where there is shortage of such sources.

15. THANK YOU