THE 8 ELEMENTS ANALYSIS METHOD IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH: TAKING THE TEACHING OF “BOUNDARY LAYER THEORY” AS AN EXAMPLE

This paper uses the “ boundary layer theory” chapter from the undergraduate course “aerodynamics” as a case study to distill the scientific research process into 8 essential elements, termed the 8 “tions”: conception, assumption, formulation, reduction, solution, validation, generalization, and application. Educators can employ these 8 elements as an analytical framework to guide students in understanding the logical foundations of scientific theories and their historical evolution. Mastery of this method enables students to approach scientific theories from a researcher’s perspective, laying a solid foundation for engaging in scientific inquiry.