Science process skills

1. PROCESS SKILLS
Dr SAJEENA S

2. PROCESS SKILLS IN SCIENCE
• Scientists approach problems by variety of
ways which have several processes common
to them.
• These commonly used processes to conduct
scientific inquiries are termed as Science
Process skills.
• In simple words, Science process skills are the
processes which are being used by various
scientists while doing science.

3. • To perform the scientific process, it requires a certain
amount of skill in science which was often called
science process skills (SPS).
• Some common science process skills are Observing,
Classifying, Communicating, Measuring, Predicting
and Inferring.
• There are some more advanced process skills
sometimes referred as integrated skills like identifying
and controlling variables, hypothesizing, interpreting
data, defining operationally, experimenting and
drawing conclusions.
• SPS was a bridge to acquire and organize knowledge
about environment and to link ideas that belong to
students based on previous experience and new
experience.

4. Observing
• Observing is the most basic process of science
and creates a base for higher scientific inquiries.
• Observing means using various senses to obtain
information (or data) about objects or events
attended.
• You must train your learners to use all their five
senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch) in
our science classes to help them become good
observer.
• That means, you should give them more and
more observation based activities to help them
learn how to use sensory experiences to gather
information about their surroundings

5. • Properties of different objects like colour, size,
shape, hardness, texture, lustre, sonorous and
density, etc. are all observable by using more
than one sense.
Observation has the following characteristics:
• Observation focuses on "What" and "How" and
not on "why".
• Observation is based on facts not opinions.
• Observation should have minimal bias i.e. it
should be more objective.
• Observation is a continuous process i.e. it is not
completed in one setting only.

6. Classifying
• Classification of objects (or events) is a process of
imposing order on collection of objects (or events)
based on similarities, differences, and
interrelationships.
• It is good to organize our observations in ways that
carry some special meaning.
• The more they become acquainted with scientific
concepts, the better they become in classifying
things/events in appropriate categories.
• Learners must be able to understand the basis of every
classification scheme to classify the objects into correct
categories. It is usually a good idea to include
classification activities together with observation
activities in your day to day science classes.

7. Measuring
• Measurement is a part of scientific
investigation process. It is the process of
quantifying observations
• Measuring skill requires not only the precision
and accuracy in handling of measuring
devices, but also the ability to carry out
calculations with such instruments.

8. Communicating
• In most generalized form, communication
means sending and receiving the message
through verbal or nonverbal means.
• People communicate in various modes such as
speaking, writing, drawing, gesturing, acting,
singing, modeling, story-telling, etc.
• Communication in science is a specialized skill
through which scientific knowledge is being
shared and communicated among scientific
community.

9. Scientific communication:
• It is systematic
• Scientific languages are different in different
areas
• Scientific communication varies keeping in
mind the reader
• In scientific communication all observations
are recorded and communicated with
accuracy
• Scientific communications are more in
scientific languages and always avoid fancy
and literary words
• Scientific communications are not biased.

10. Inferring
• Inferring is using logic to draw conclusions from
what we observe and an "inference' is an
explanation to our observation about any object
or event.
• In other words, an inference is a person's best
guess about the cause of an observation.
• It is generally based on some evidence also. Most
of the time, our inference is strongly conditioned
by our past experiences and knowledge.
• As a science teacher, your first task is to help your
learners in differentiating between observation
and inferences.

11. Predicting
• Predicting is to forecast about what a future
observation will be.
• Predictions are based on our observations,
measurements and inferences that we make
about relationships among various observed
variables.
• They are our best guesses based on the
available data or information in hand.

12. Acquiring Skills to Understand the
Method and Processes of Science
• Leaners need to acquire basic science process
skills in order to understand the method and
processes of science that are used by scientists to
do science.
• Apart from six basic process skills as described
above, there are integrated skills as well in
science- those are acquired later by learners once
they have learnt using basic process skills.
• Basic process skills are prerequisite for integrated
skills. Integrated process skills require higher
order thinking and reasoning and hence they are
mainly practiced in upper grades.

13. Identifying and controlling variables
• Identifying variables means stating the
changeable factors that can affect an experiment.
It is important to change only the variable being
tested and keep the remaining constant.
• The one being manipulated is the independent
variable, the one being measured to determine
the response is the dependent variable, and all
the variables that do not change and may be
potential independent variables are constants.
• Controlling variables means being able to
identify variables that can affect an experimental
outcome.

14. • Defining Operationally: It means stating to
measure a variable in an experiment.
• Hypothesizing: Stating the expected outcome of an
experiment. A testable hypothesis should point
towards the design of an experiment to test
whether that hypothesis is correct or not.
Hypothesis is an educated guess. Unlike wild
guesses, an educated guess is based on prior
knowledge and observation
• Experimenting: It means the procedure carefully
designed to test the hypothesis. It put together all
the science process skills

15. • Interpreting Data: It means organizing data and
drawing conclusions from it.
• Drawing Conclusions: When drawing conclusions,
it is important to remember that words are
always written in complete sentences,
measurements are always written with units,
pictures are drawn carefully.

16. Role of teacher in developing process skills
• train learners for use of senses to carry out focused and objective
observations in science
• help learners learn to record their observations in both qualitative
quantitative manner
• enable learners to use measuring instruments precisely and using
appropriate units to present their data/observations
• encourage learners for communicating observations honestly without
hesitation and feeling no fear while reporting deviated results
• use appropriate questions to guide learners for making authentic
observations and inferences
• help learners to classify various objects or events and develop ability to
explain the underlying criteria
• provide opportunities to use different means of communicating data/
results of their investigations, such as charts, graphs, models, etc.
• motivate them to share their observations and inferences with each other
• encourage them to predict an event and then test it if it's coming out to be
true or not.
• create ample opportunities for learners to use science process skills and
integrating them wherever is the scope

17. Assessment
Observation:
• Using the five senses effectively
• Identifying relevant particulars of an object and
its environment
• Focusing on relevant particulars from massive
information.
• Identifying similarities and differences
• Identifying strange / unusual features
• Realizing changes in environment
• Identifying the correct sequence
• Using appropriate instrument(s) to enhance
senses for the details

18. Classifying
• Detecting similarities
• Grouping objects based on certain criterion.
• Using other criterion in grouping objects.
• Grouping objects in different ways

19. Communicating
• Communicating in an understandable language
• Accuracy
• Utilisation of scientific language
• Speaking, listening or writing to express ideas or
meanings.
• Recording information from investigations
• Using and explaining the meaning of symbols
• Using charts, graphs and tables to present information
• Posting questions clearly
• Using references.
• Writing experiment report to enable others to repeat
the experiment

20. Measuring
• Identifying the measurement required.
• Specifying the instrument to be used.
• Comparing the measurement with the specific
instrument.
• Adding up the total measurement

21. Inferring
• Using information from observations to make
reasonable early conclusions
• Making various possible interpretations from
single observation
• Able to identify the limitations of inferences.
• Testing the accuracy of inferences through
additional observations
• Using inferences as a tool to determine the
appropriate additional observations

22. Predicting
• Using previous or present evidence to state incoming
events.
• Able to differentiate between predicting and
guessing
• Able to determine the outcomes from action
• Using pattern of date explictly to make projections.
• Confident with the accuracy of the prediction
• Able to verify a statement of related to future events
based on evidence or past experiences
• Being cautious in making assumption about a certain
pattern of data beyond the evidence at hand
• Extrapolating and inserting data as a tool to predict