Connecting Design and Experience: Tracing Uncertainty Through Classroom Science Investigations

Uncertainty has drawn substantial attention because of its potential to support conceptual progress and meaningful science work in science classrooms. Uncertainty has been conceptualized in a variety of ways: as central to scientific activity, as a design principle for science learning environments, and as an experience that supports individual and collective sensemaking. We argue that realizing uncertainty as a resource in learning environments requires working across multiple conceptions of uncertainty, specifically connecting uncertainty as designed for and uncertainty as experienced in the learning environment . We use an elementary school landforms investigation to apply design conjectures and develop an analytic method for following uncertainty from design through collective classroom engagement. We explore whether and how uncertainty was realized, made public, and taken up in classroom conversations. We highlight key findings that have continued to guide our work designing for productive uncertainty in classroom science. These include the interconnected nature of uncertainties in various parts of student investigations, the supportive role of consequential differences in helping students make uncertainty public, and teacher practices that impact how students make public and work with uncertainty.