Review of Research Trends on Hypothesis Formulation in Science Education

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to gather and organize research on hypothesis setting, and to comprehensively consider research trends and issues with attention to differences between domestic and overseas science education. Research on hypothesis setting was classified into 4 types: “definition of hypothesis”, “evaluation of actual situation”, “thought process”, and “teaching method”. From the results of examining the trends and issues of research in each classification, the following four points were revealed. 1) The diversity of the definitions of the hypothesis is not found in the whole elements that make up the definition of the hypothesis, it is derived from the difference in the object to be explained. 2) There is a trend difference in domestic and overseas in the evaluation method of hypothesis setting. 3) In research on thinking processes, it is necessary to improve so that we can capture the thought process of hypothesis setting in actual science classes. 4) Domestic teaching methods research is more effective than that of foreign studies based on its concrete nature, but there are equally valid issues to be taught in each teaching method.