Generating and Testing Hypotheses                                    home

From Web 2.0 That Works: Marzano & Web 2.0

Enhance students' understanding of and ability to use knowledge by engaging them in mental processes that involve making and testing hypotheses.

Generalizations From Research

1. Hypotheses generation and testing can be approached in either a deductive or inductive manner.
2. Teachers should ask students to clearly explain their hypotheses and their conclusions.

Example Activities

• Systems Analysis
• Problem-Solving and Project-Based Learning
• Historical Investigation
• Invention
• Decision-Making

Recommendations & Ideas

1. Make sure students can explain their hypotheses and conclusions
2. Use a variety of structured tasks to guide students through generating and testing hypotheses
3. Plan time for students to increase their conceptual understanding of skills or processes

Information presented above in the definition is from McREL, and generalizations from research, and recommendations & ideas is from Classroom Instruction that Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement (ASCD)(Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, Jane E. Pollock).

Web 2.0 Connections

Category Key: and links to more Web 2.0 tools

SD = Identifying Similarities and Differences CL = Cooperative Learning SNT = Summarizing and Note-Taking ER = Reinforcing Effort and Providing Recognition HP = Homework and Practice NR = Nonlinguistic Representation OF = Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback HYP = Generating and Testing Hypotheses QCO = Questions, Cues, and Advance Organizers