When pupils learn science through inquiry-based learning methods, good guidance

from the teacher is required to achieve science content knowledge. In addition,

pupils’ need to practice posing hypotheses, carrying out investigations

and discussing results to learn how to engage in scientific working methods.

The purpose of this study is to contribute knowledge about pupils' in year 3

learning about solutions and mixings through an investigative approach in

chemistry. In the present study, an intervention was carried out where pupils

in year 3 (age 9–10 years) investigated mixtures and solutions in small groups.

The result shows that pupils’ previous experiences influence how pupils understand

science phenomena. The result also shows that interaction between

pupils and the scientific language is significant to understand how pupils understand

scientific content. Finally, the results show that the teacher's support

needs to be extensive when younger pupils are doing investigative work. The

degree of freedom needs to be low when younger pupils are working with investigations,

to not miss the scientific content. Recommendations for the activity

are therefore to give pupils support when they are working on investigations,

to work continuously with the working method and to deepen the pupils’

prior knowledge before starting the investigation.