Presenter: Dr. KIM PHAIK LAH

Presenter: Dr.
KIM PHAIK LAH
02/11/10 Dr Kim Phaik Lah kimpl9988@gmail.com 1

Developing students’
science research skills
(1):
Planning a science
research project
Part One: What is research & how
to start a science research project ?
Part Two: How to formulate research
problems & hypothesis ?
Part Three: What are the tips for planning
a successful science project ?

Research is a
“ systematic investigation
to find answers to problems”.

It is a
“process of systematic
collection, analyses,
evaluation, interpretation
and synthesis of data”.

It is “a process of
arriving at
dependable
solutions
to problems”.

Research is to see
what everyone else
has seen, and to think
what nobody else has
thought.
You can do research
based on the problems
& questions you are interested;
your abilities to investigate;
the availability of the
materials needed to investigate
and most importantly-
your inquiry mind.

You can start by:--observing
things, people and places around
you and consider possible source
of problems.

How can the speed of the
wind be measured ?
What effect does the duration

of an earth quake have on the
land surface ?
How is static electricity

produced ?

How does flies eat ?
How long does it take a long bean

seed to begin growing ?
Why are plant leaves green ?
How can the moon block the Sun’s light ?

Research is the process by
which people create new
knowledge about themselves
or the world in which they live
in order to answer a question
or solve a problem. ..

You can consider why you want
to investigate certain problems
systematically to find solutions.

You will learn more on how
to start you research in Part
Two of this module

Research starts with identifying
problem or problematic situation.
And give reasons why you want
to investigate the problem.

Finding the important sources:
• from experiences: e.g. observing things,
talking to people & visiting places
•from things you are interested e.g.
reading books/ listening to radios,
watching TV
• from searching information e.g. using
search engine in Internet.
1. State the one category of problem
you want to investigate:
e.g. people, things or places.
2. Choose a topic for investigation
3. State the question or problem
4. Explain why you want to
investigate the problem
•Formulate & state clearly research question
or problem
Compare the effect of horse manure &

urea on the growth of banana fruits.
Which is a better fertilizer ?

Can Ascorbic acid substitute
boric acid in noodle making ?
How to turn kitchen waste

as organic fertilizer ?
How to evaluate effluents from

industrial zone as source of
water pollution in rivers ?
•Questioning is probably the most
important part of scientific inquiry
•Questioning enables you to formulate
research questions.
•Questioning consider the reasons why
you want to investigate the problems

When you state the research question or
problem, the statement must be:
Clear, Specific, Concise,
Well-defined & organised.
The problem must be significant,

contribute to new knowledge,
improve existing process and
Give benefits to people & society.
•Formulate Hypothesis
There is no significant difference between

horse manure & urea on the total
weight of the banana fruits produced
per plant.
•Formulate Hypothesis
There is a significant difference between

horse manure & urea on the total
weight of the banana fruits produced
per plant.
Hypothesis is a guess, a prediction
or a hunch we make in order to
investigate whether the hypothesis
can be accepted or rejected.
We can use the following ways to express the
hypothesis : "if…………..then…………" ;
“suppose………. then……….”

e.g. (3) we can make a cause & effect
hypothesis:
If there is a difference between the effects

of horse manure and urea, then the growth
Of banana fruits will differ significantly in
terms of: The total weight of banana per
plant.

1. Recall some of the research
questions and problems you have been
thinking, try to state the problem clearly.
2. Try to formulate research hypothesis

relevant to the questions & problems.

Are there steps which
we can follow to
produce superior
scientific experiment ?

1) Be curious, choose a limited
subject, ask a question; identify
or define a problem.
2) Review published materials
related to your problem or
question.
3) Evaluate possible solutions and
make your educated guess
(hypothesis).

4) Challenge and test your hypothesis
experimentation (data collection)
and analysis.
5) Evaluate the results of your
experiment and reach conclusions
based on your data.
6) Prepare your report and exhibit.
The final hypothesis is
often developed after
one has run a few
preliminary
experiments, then
analyzed a body of
results, and reached a
tentative conclusion.
Using science research
process, scientists try to
understand how nature
works & engineers
create things that never
were.

e.g. an engineering
project should state
the engineering
goals, the
development
process and the
evaluation of
improvements in the
investigation
Tips for a Successful
Science Project

Tip #1: Start Early
Begin to prepare your research project
as soon as your have decided on the topic;
formulated research questions
or problems and stated
the hypothesis for the investigation
Tip #2:
Choose a topic that
interests you and
discuss it with your
teacher, mentor or
parent.
Tip #3:
Find out as much as you can
about the topic, the
problems….
Refer to books, Internet
sources, and science experts.
Tip #4:
Select an adult sponsor who can
help you plan your research and
point you to the proper qualified
scientist or designated supervisor
if you are working with science
beyond your sponsor's expertise.
Tip #5:
Checklist for Adult
Sponsor/ Safety
Assessment Form that
will help determine what
approvals are needed for
doing the research.
Tip #6:
Prepare a Research Plan /
Research Proposal:
a plan that outlines what you
intend to do in your research
in details for others to approve
of your methods or suggest
changes and improvements
before you begin.

You may have prepare well for starting
your project, but you need more help in
thinking how to conduct the investigation
And find solution for your investigation.
It is important to gather more tips

on how to do research.

Students should learn to be skeptical
of all research results, especially their
own.
A good experiment may or may not

answer the questions asked, but
almost always leads to fresh
questions requiring new experiments
or observations.
The final hypothesis is
often developed after
one has run a few
preliminary
experiments, then
analyzed a body of
results, and reached a
tentative conclusion.
Using science research
process, scientists try to
understand how nature
works & engineers
create things that never
were.

e.g. an engineering
project should state
the engineering
goals, the
development
process and the
evaluation of
improvements in the
investigation

Presenter: Dr. KIM PHAIK LAH

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Presenter: Dr.

KIM PHAIK LAH

02/11/10 Dr Kim Phaik Lah kimpl9988@gmail.com 1

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What effect does the duration

How is static electricity

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How long does it take a long bean

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Compare the effect of horse manure &

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How to turn kitchen waste

How to evaluate effluents from

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The problem must be significant,

There is no significant difference between

There is a significant difference between

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If there is a difference between the effects

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2. Try to formulate research hypothesis

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It is important to gather more tips

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A good experiment may or may not

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