The PI’s research

Author: Frank LaBanca, Ed.D.


Please list two (2) questions to ask a potential subject about problem finding for their research projects. DO NOT repeat any questions asked by other students. Please keep in mind the “current” research questions:

1. What are the differences in problem finding strategies for students who produce high quality open-inquiry science projects versus those of low quality, as determined by external evaluators?
2. How do parents, teachers, and mentors influence student problem finding?

3. What differences between superior and inferior science fair projects can be attributed to the ways students develop and find their research problems?

14 Responses to “The PI’s research”

  1. Allison C Says:

    1. What was the motivation behind the idea for your project? Was the original idea conceived from general interests of the topic, or was it influenced by the desire to succeed in school/science fairs?

    2. Is your project a result of prior knowledge to the subject of study, or a newly gained curiosity or interest?

  2. jason h Says:

    1. If have created two or more projects in the past, which one did better at the science fair? Why do you think so?

    2. What are your parent’s occupations and did that effect how you came up with your project idea?

  3. Alex Albritton Says:

    1. What got you thinking about the subject of your project was it observing a natural phenomenon, reading journal articles, or something you have always been interested in?

    2. Who has influenced your way of thinking the most and in what way?

  4. Ivan v Says:

    1. Have other projects observed at science fairs influenced your work at all? If so which ones were they and how successful were they in the competition?

    2. Does your project tie in with your hobbies and extracurricular interests or is it purely a school activity to you?

  5. Maricate C Says:

    1. Was your project inspired by professional research or similar to research of a professional scientist/expert in their field?

    2. If your project was inspired by professional research, did you contact and follow up on communicating with an expert in that field? Did you demonstrate motivation by pursuing a mentor or professional support at a local university or research facility? Did your mentor’s passion/enthusiasm for the field and project remain high?

  6. Wesley H. Says:

    1. Did you select your research project topic on your own or did family, peers, or instructor influence your choice, if so which and how?

    2. Did you change your research topic from your original to a completely different one and why? Do you think changing your project helped it or hurt it performance in the fair?

  7. drew t Says:

    Did you use journal articles, scientific magazines, or books in your process for selecting your idea for your project?

    Have you done any open inquiry activities in other classes? If so, do you think that it has helped you in deciding on a project idea?

  8. Grant Kurtz Says:

    1. Does your personal financial situation affect how you came to your project idea or how you plan to execute your experimentation? If you had access to unlimited resources and money at the very second you needed it, would your project run smoother or have little effect?

    2. Do you have lots of after school activities? if so are these affecting your ability to do your project? if you have few activities and your lacking in your project work, explain why you think this is so.

  9. Anonymous Says:

    1. Did you create your project with wanting to help local or global issues?

    2. What teacher’s or other people in your life inspired or helped you come up with your topic?

  10. scott r Says:

    that last one was mine… my bad

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  12. Russ Stingel Says:

    It’s good to know that someone took the time to investigate this aspect, even though the conclusion don’t necessarily match my expectations.

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