The Contributions of Explanation and Exploration to Children's Scientific Reasoning

Both explanation and exploration can foster causal learning, yet the mechanisms underlying these effects are largely unknown, especially in early childhood. In this article, I provide an overview of research on the relation among explanation, exploration, and the development of scientific reasoning. I propose that explaining and exploring operate in tandem as hypothesis-generating and hypothesis-testing mechanisms. I review evidence that supports this claim by demonstrating that inconsistency with prior knowledge selectively motivates children to construct explanations, guides discovery-oriented behavior, and drives the early-developing capacity to reason scientifically. I conclude with a discussion of the educational applications of research on the development of children's scientific reasoning in informal learning settings.