• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.356-366
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of offering similar experiences for hypothesis-generation based on abduction. Two hundred and seventy eight students in Seoul(8th and 10th grades) were requested to propose causal questions and generate hypotheses after observing an unfamiliar situation. Then, after having been presented numerous similar experimental situations to initial situation, the students were asked to regenerate a hypothesis. When the $X^2$ analysis was done to determine differences in hypothesis generation before and after offering the similar experimental situations, a meaningful difference appeared(p<.001). This study proposes that offering similar experimental situations ease hypothesis-generation based on abductive reasoning. Additionally, the second meaningful difference was discovered when the $X^2$ analysis was carried out to find differences in causal question proposal and hypothesis generation among students who had varied cognitive levels(p<.05) Considering the findings of the study, a progressive stage offering similar scenarios may further abductive reasoning while implementing lessons related to hypothesis generation in middle and high school.