Use of the Experimental Approach

This work presents the students' representations and the development of an experimental approach by Life and Earth Sciences (L&E) teachers. The results we obtained show that this teaching practice is widely used by the latter to solve a problem or test a hypothesis. However, the adoption of such an approach is confronted with learners' difficulties in stating hypotheses that are consistent with theoretical data. We can thus define a "practical" skill that is the sum of the ability to carry out and communicate, the attitude of respect for the material and rigour in the imposed protocol, and the mobilization of knowledge that can be called upon to envisage solutions and explanations for experimental facts.