This study involves action research to explore the
effectiveness of the Predict-Observe-Explain (POE) technique in diagnosing
students' understanding of science and identifying their levels of
achievement. A multidimensional interpretive framework is used to interpret
students' understanding of science. The research methodology incorporated
constructivist action-inquiry principles, grounded theory development, and
triangulation of multiple data sources, multiple data collection methods, and
multiple theoretical perspectives. Data from a class of 18 11th -grade
students include students' written,POE task response, interviews with
individual students, and in-class discussions. The POE tasks were concerned
with the expansion of water, solubility of salt, and power and resistance of
light globes. Variations in student responses suggest that uniform
observation outcomes may not always be assumed even for the well-designed POE
intended to provide an obvious and clear observation outcome. Data also
suggest that POE tasks are effective in capturing a range of possible student
observation and prediction outcomes when they are worded in an open-ended
format. Results imply that POE tasks can be used to design learning
activities insightfully to start with the students' viewpoints rather than
the teacher's or scientist's. Findings also suggest that POEs are effective
in facilitating the teacher and the students in documenting student
achievement and profiling student progress.