Prediction-Observation-Explanation (POE): An Effective Approach to Science Education

Abstract

Prediction-observation-explanation (POE) as a teaching strategy was advanced by Australian researchers White and Gunster in 1992. It has been primarily adopted in science education and project-based learning. With POE, the students develop the understanding of a specific scientific concept through the exploratory process consisting of hypothesis (prediction), experimentation (observation), and analysis/presentation (explanation) (Yurtyapan & Kandemir, 2022). Each of the three steps of POE has its own purpose (White & Gunstone, 1992; Nalkiran & Karamustafaoglu, 2020; Baydere, 2021). “Prediction” is for the students to make hypotheses about inquiry on a concept or an event in question and give their justifications. This step is to awaken the students to prior knowledge relevant to the new concept and identify possible gaps or misconceptions in them. “Observation” is for the students to observe the inquiry process of the concept or event. The teacher may present the concept or event through explanations, demonstrations, or experiments, and the students are required to record observations before, during, and after the experiment. “Explanation” is for the teacher to elaborate on the concept or event and give explanations of the discrepancies between the students’ predictions and observations, in order to enhance their grasp of the subject matter.