Abstract. Hypothesis is defined as a single proposition proposed as a possible explanation for the occurrence of some observed phenomena. The purpose of this study was to analyze and categorize hypotheses generated by students on the cause of differen...
Abstract. Hypothesis is defined as a single proposition proposed as a possible explanation for the occurrence of some observed phenomena. The purpose of this study was to analyze and categorize hypotheses generated by students on the cause of difference between the structures of muscles of the fishes and the terrestrial animals. A hypothesis-generating test was administered to 23 three college students who were majoring in science education. The study showed that college students generated manipulative and theoretical hypotheses as proposed explanations for the structural difference between muscles of the fishes and the terrestrial animals. Furthermore, students generated several hypotheses which were categorized by the quality of abductive process based on the degree of likeness between experienced knowledge and current phenomena. This study also discusses the implications of these findings for teaching and research in science education.