The Taxonomy of Predict-Observe-Explain (POE) as a Teaching Strategy and Thinking Process of Chemistry Stakeholders

Abstract

Predict-observe-explain (POE) is a strategy being used during scientific investigations and experiments. However, POE-related studies mainly focused on its validity and reliability as a teaching strategy in classrooms. Thus, this paper extends the context of POE discussion not only as a teaching strategy but also as science process skills, and as cognitive thinking skills in performing experiments and answering scientific inquiries among chemistry stakeholders: students, teachers, and chemists. The study sees POE as a way to develop critical thinking and builds the skills needed for further academic and professional endeavors in the different fields of science. Through a constructivist grounded theory methodology using focus group discussions for students and in-depth interviews with the teachers and chemists, the study: described how students, teachers, and chemists exemplified POE strategy in terms of its process, and identified mutual patterns of POE process from the chemistry stakeholders. The study revealed that: student POE taxonomy is focused on basic processes and structures of POE; teacher POE taxonomy is a guide in their lesson planning; and chemist POE taxonomy is based on local and international compliance during experimentation. Therefore, POE is a science process skill for chemistry stakeholders where the POE taxonomy used by the chemistry stakeholders are different based on experiences, needs, and context.