Deductive Learning and Observation : A Unit on the 'Structure of Flowers'

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of having students form their own hypotheses and examine them through observation in the learning process. Students in one class on the structure of flowers were divided into two groups. One group was to learn deductively and the other, inductively. The first group was allowed to make hypotheses about the subject of the lesson and was asked to write their reasons for forming these hypotheses. After that, they were allowed to observe the flowers and given a lesson that lead to an appropriate understanding. The second group was allowed to observe many kinds of flowers and to look for similarities in their structures. The results show that the group that learned deductively understood the structure of flowers better than the group that learned inductively.