The obvious difference between the experimental method and other observation methods and investigation methods is that the experimental method requires a clear scientific hypothesis before the experiment begins. Experimental hypothesis is a hypothetical speculation on the causal relationship between experimental factors and educational effects on the basis of long-term practice and experience accumulation. The history of scientific development proves that any scientific theory is established after scientific hypothesis, experiment and practice verification.
Educational experiment aims at some problems existing in education, puts forward scientific viewpoints and assumptions, and then puts them into the test of experiments, so as to draw a conclusion and accept or reject the assumptions. For example, what is the relationship between research-based learning and developing students' ability, and what is the relationship between class team activities and class collective cohesion? What influence does the teacher-student relationship have on students' personality development? Can a certain teaching method promote students' learning ability? Wait, you can put forward different theoretical assumptions and verify them through experiments.
2. The experimental process is strictly and actively controlled.
Different from the observation method and investigation method of passive waiting research phenomenon in natural state, the experimental method is to artificially set up a certain situation under strict control, actively promote the emergence of some phenomena and characteristics, and then reveal the reasons of things and phenomena. In educational experiments, independent variables are experimental factors and dependent variables are experimental effects. They are variables that change depending on other variables, responses under the action of experimental factors and other variables, and results of experiments. For example, in the experiment of teaching method reform, teaching method is an independent variable (experimental factor), teaching quality is a dependent variable (experimental result), and experimental control is to control the influence of other factors besides experimental factors (such as age, number of students, intelligence, academic performance, teacher level, teaching materials, students' efforts, teaching time, etc.). ) on the experimental results. Control is the essential feature and essence of experimental methods. Without control, it is not an experiment.
3. Explore the causal relationship between variables
The main purpose of educational experiment is to explore the causal relationship between variables. Because all irrelevant factors are strictly controlled during the experiment, only experimental factors act on the dependent variables. So this result is inevitable, and researchers can determine the causal relationship between experimental factors and results. For example, "the experiment of cultivating students' innovative ability by deep attempt teaching method in primary school art", the experimental factor is the deep attempt teaching method and the dependent variable is the students' innovative ability. After defining the operability of "trying teaching method", two classes, junior and senior, were selected for a semester's experiment. Students in the experimental class are required to make an in-depth attempt at each teaching content before creation, while students in the control class do not make an in-depth attempt before creation. Under the strict control of other conditions, after one semester, the works of students in the experimental class are richer than those in the control class in terms of brushwork, picture content and creative imagination. This reveals the causal relationship between the in-depth attempt of teaching methods and the cultivation of innovative spirit.
To draw the conclusion that there is a causal relationship between the two types of variables, three conditions need to be met:
(1) covariant relation. Independent variables and dependent variables change in the same direction. As the above example, after trying the teaching method of art class, students' innovative ability will be improved. It shows that there is a covariant relationship between the two types of variables.
(2) chronological order. The independent variable changes first, and then the dependent variable changes. In the above example, we can't improve our innovation ability before trying the teaching method.
(3) Control irrelevant variables. In the above example, other factors that affect students' innovative ability, such as the original foundation of the experimental class and the control class, the level of teachers, and students' learning attitude, are all irrelevant variables that need to be controlled.
Step 4 Repeatability
Repeatability means that under the same experimental conditions, different regions and different units can get the same experimental results. The experimental results themselves are obtained through long-term and arduous experiments. Once the causal relationship is determined, it can be determined that it is highly scientific. Therefore, if we apply the same experimental factors, control the interference of irrelevant factors and operate in the same way in the same experimental situation, we should be able to get basically the same conclusion. The repeatability of educational experiments makes the experimental results more convincing and worth popularizing.