ABSTRACT
Although experimentation has always played a central role within school science, ideas have changed as to how it should be taught. A favoured approach at present is to locate experimentation in a broader hypothesis testing context, such that key techniques are mastered while being applied in the exploration and furtherance of conceptual content. Recognising the popularity of the approach, the chapter investigates its viability in practice. Research is outlined which shows that experimentation can be successfully taught in the context of hypothesising. However, success here does not guarantee a positive (or indeed neutral) impact upon conceptual understanding. On the contrary, additional, far from obvious steps have to be taken to ensure that the teaching of experimentation serves rather than undermines the background concepts. The chapter ends by explaining in detail what the steps involve, and showing that, despite their non-obviousness, they do mesh with authentic science activity.
