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From Everyday to Scientific Observation: How Children Learn to Observe the Biologist’s World

Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh

This article explores the development of observation in scientific and everyday contexts. Fundamental to all scientific activity, expert observation is a complex practice that requires the coordination of disciplinary knowledge, theory, and habits of attention. On the surface, observation appears to be a simple skill. Consequently, children may be directed to observe, compare, and describe phenomena without adequate disciplinary context or support, and so fail to gain deeper scientific understanding. Drawing upon a review of science education, developmental psychology, and the science studies literatures, this article examines what it means to observe within a disciplinary framework. In addition, everyday observers are characterized and a framework is proposed that hypothesizes how everyday observers could develop practices that are more like scientific observers.

Key Words: scientific observation • science-as-practice • everyday observation • science education

Review of Educational Research, Vol. 79, No. 1, 39-68 (2009)
DOI: 10.3102/0034654308325899


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