HSC Science Extension case studies
HSC Science Extension · Put your knowledge to work in context.
Science Extension is a Stage 6 (Years 11–12) NSW syllabus area published by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) within the Science learning area of the NSW Curriculum. It sits alongside the other senior secondary courses described on the NSW Curriculum site, which sets out how syllabuses are structured and how course options work for Years 11–12. The course is designed for senior science students who want to move beyond learning established content and instead investigate how scientific knowledge is built, tested and reported. Its four strands - the foundations of scientific thinking, the scientific research proposal, data, evidence and conclusions, and the scientific research report - trace the full arc of an independent investigation, from critiquing how claims are justified, through designing a feasible and ethical study, to analysing data and communicating findings in a formal report. The HSC Science Extension case studies are 4 cases and about 2,116 words.
1The Replication That Would Not Repeat
A Year 12 student reads a 2019 paper reporting that students who wrote summaries in blue ink scored 12% higher on a recall test than those writing in black ink (n = 40, p = 0.03). She decides to replicate it for her Science Extension research project.
569 words, about 3 min2The Proposal With a Borrowed Hypothesis
A student submits a research proposal investigating whether a local creek's phosphate levels affect algal bloom frequency. The proposal states: 'Hypothesis: phosphate causes algal blooms.' The methodology section says samples will be taken 'weekly from the creek' with no specified sites, volumes, or preservation method.
522 words, about 3 min3The Outlier That Changed the Conclusion
A student measures the effect of a fertiliser on seedling height. She has 12 seedlings per treatment (fertiliser vs control) and records heights after four weeks.
522 words, about 3 min4The Report That Buried Its Limitation
A student's research report investigates whether a 10-minute nature walk improves mood scores (1–10 scale) in 30 volunteers. Mood rose by a mean of 1.8 points.
503 words, about 3 min