Learning to Think Like a Scientist

November 1, 2026 Learning to Think Like a Scientist “The heart of science,” said the educator Sylvia Farnham-Diggory, “is the drive to discover, not the mastery of laboratory procedures and report formalities or the ability to recite facts from textbooks.” Traditional science teaching, often geared to memorizing information that will be on a test, is a bad bet in several ways. Students remember little of what they were taught, fail to move past sticky misconceptions about how the world works, and end up with little interest in science. Research tells us that the outcomes are far better in classrooms (from elementary school on up) that feature student-centered projects originating with kids’ questions, where the learning is both hands-on and minds-on. When students actually do science, they’re more likely to acquire an aptitude for thinking like a scientist and to develop a taste for the excitement that comes from discovery. RESOURCES: Marvin F. Wideen et al.,, “High-Stakes Testing and the Teaching of Science,” Canadian Journal of Education 22 (1997): 428-44 – https://tinyurl.com/53b9z2wy Kevin C. Wise, “Strategies for Teaching Science: What Works?”, The Clearing House, July/August 1996: 337-38. Eric M. Anderman & Allison J. Young, “Motivation and Strategy Use in Science,” Journal of Research in Science Teaching 31 (1994): 811-31 Ted Bredderman, “Effects of Activity-based Elementary Science on Student Outcomes,” Review of Educational Research 53 (1983): 499-518 A note from Alfie Kohn: If you’re enjoying Kohn’s Zone, please tell other people about it. If you have feedback about an episode, send it to https://www.alfiekohn.org/contact-us/. And if you’re willing to do your part to keep the podcast ad- and paywall-free, please click on the donate button or visit https://coff.ee/kohnszone. Thanks! Please click the button below to donate. If you don’t see a button, please go to this page (https://coff.ee/kohnszone). Donate PRODUCTION SUPPORT: Ultraviolet Audio ART: Abi Kohn