Science Practices: Developing Research Questions

Having students develop a GLOBE project can be daunting, especially for those new to field investigations or carrying out research independently for the first time. Developing a narrow, interesting and doable (with the equipment on hand and in the time allotted) research question is the first step. Often, students attempt to solve the world’s problems with a complex question that cannot be answered within the time constraints of a typical school day.  

Webinars

Asking Good Research Questions with Dr. Michael Jabot, SUNY Fredonia

Q&A

Q: Some students cannot come up with any questions. Are there strategies for engaging students in question formulation process? 

Dr. Mike Jabot: Use the Q-focus in the Question Formulation Technique. This uses phenomenon to stimulate question generation. For ideas, check out NGSS phenomena.  

Q: How do we help students figure out what an appropriate experiment would be based on time, funding, level, and equipment constraints? 

Dr. Mike Jabot: Don't constrain their questions at first. Work with students to make this realization themselves. Once they have identified things that are out of their realm, they can work towards narrowing their questions.  

Question Formulation Technique with Dr. Michael Jabot, SUNY Fredonia

Developing Age-Appropriate Research Questions with Dr. Kevin Czajkowski, University of Toledo


Resources