Browse > Article

Exploring Reasoning Patterns of Students' Scientific Thinking, Inquiry Activities in Textbook, and Examination Items  

Kim, Young-Shin (Korea National University of Education)
Kwon, Yong-Ju (Korea National University of Education)
Yang, Il-Ho (Korea National University of Education)
Chung, Wan-Ho (Korea National University of Education)
Publication Information
Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education / v.23, no.4, 2003 , pp. 309-318 More about this Journal
Abstract
Scientific reasoning is one of the main concerns in current science education. This study have tried to answer on the question whether Korean science education has the potential to help improve of students' ability to think scientifically. Therefore, the present study investigated the relationship between reasoning patterns evident in science textbook and science examination items, and students' scientific reasoning skills across grades in Korea. 1975 subjects (1022 females and 953 males) were administered in the Lawson's Test of Scientific Reasoning skills. Forty seven science textbooks and 240 assessment instrument were analyzed by several scientific reasoning keys. Scientific reasoning patterns were adopted from Lawson's classification which characterized the patterns as the empirical-inductive and the hypothetical-deductive. This study found that reasoning patterns evident in textbook analyses and assessment instrumental items do not evidentce the potential to stimulate the development of students' reasoning skill. In order to improve the students' abilities to think and achieve, higher levels of reasoning must be included in the science textbook and examination. Further, some of scientific reasoning processes, such as generating hypotheses, designing experiments, and logical prediction, were not found in science textbooks and test items in Korean secondary schools. This study also discussed the educational implication of these results and further studies about to develop student's reasoning ability.
Keywords
reasoning pattern; scientific thinking; examination items;
Citations & Related Records
연도 인용수 순위
  • Reference
1 Kang, S., & Woo, J. (1994). A study on the cognitive levels and the science process skills based on the cognitive styles. Journal of the Korean Association for Research in Science Education, 15, 404-416
2 Kim, H., & Kim, S. (1988). A study of the concept formation about child's euclidian space. Journal of the Korean Association for Research in Science Education, 8, 23-32
3 Kim, Y., Kwon, Y., Park, Y., Koo, S., & Chung, W. (2000). A longitudinal study of influences on functional prefrontal lobe to science achievement. The Korean Journal of Biological Education, 20 123-128
4 Kwon, Y., & Lawson, A. E. (1998). A plateau and spurt pattern of neurological maturation, scientific reasoning development and conceptual change in Korean secondary school students. Journal of the Korean Association for Research in Science Education, 18, 589-600
5 Lawson, A. E., & Weser, J. (1990). The rejection of nonscientific beliefs about life: Effects of instruction an reasoning skills. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 27, 589-606   DOI
6 Lawson, A. E., Drake, N., Johnson, J., Kwon, Y., & Scarpone, C. (2000). How good are students at testing alternative explanaions involving enseen entities? The American Biology Teacher, 62, 249-255   DOI   ScienceOn
7 Lawson, A. E., Carlson, E., Sullivan, F., Wilcox, R. S., & Wollman, W. T (1976). Biology teaching and development of reasoning. Berkeley: Regents of the University of California
8 Takemura, S. (1989). A study of cognitive skills and other related factors in science education, Hirosima University. Research Project Report, project No. 61450098
9 Yoo, K. (1988) A comparative study on scientific thinking skills and science process skills of Korean and Japanese middle school students. Master Dissertation, Seoul, Seoul National University
10 Martin, M. O., Mullis, I. V. S., Beaton, A., Gonzalez, E. J., Smith, T. A., & Kelly, D. L. (1997). Science achievement in the primary school years: IEA's their international mathematics and science study(TIMSS) Chestnut Hill, MA: Boston College
11 Im, C. (1992). Methods and procedures of ordering theory and hierarchical analysis of science process skills using ordering theory. Journal of the Korean Association for Research in Science Education, 12, 91-107   과학기술학회마을   ScienceOn
12 Miller, J. D., & Prewitt, K. (1979). The measurement of the attitude of the U.S public toward organized science. Washington, DC: National Science Foundation
13 Chung, W., Kim, Y., & Kwon, Y. (1999). Relationships between students' scientific reasoning levels and thinking patterns of biological inquiries in junior high school science textbook., The Korean Journal of Biological Education, 19, 202-210
14 Han, J. (1994). Innovation and progress of science education in Korea. Paper presented at the Korean Association for Research in Science Education 1994 Symposium
15 Kwon, Y. (1997). Linking prefrontal lobe functions with reasoning and conceptual change. Doctoral dissertation. Tempe, AZ: Arizona State University
16 Lawson, A. E. (1995). Science teaching and the development of thinking, Belmont, CA: Wadsworth
17 Linn, R. L., & Gronlund, N. E. (1995). Measurement and assessment in teaching. Englewood Cliffs, N. J. Merrill
18 Choi, B., & Hur, M. (1987). Relationships between the cognitive levels of students and understanding of concrete and formal science content. Journal of the Korean Association for Research in Science Education, 7, 19-32
19 Soh, W., & Woo, J. (1994). A comparative study of the logical thinking skills and integrated process skills of junior high school students in Korea and Japan. Journal of the Korean Association for Research in Science Education, 14, 312-320
20 Suarez, A., & Rhonheimer, M. (1974). Lineare funktion. Zurich: Linmat Stiftung
21 Lawson, A. E. (1987). Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning. Unpublished Manuscript. Tempe, AZ: Arizona State University
22 Beaton, A. E., Martin, M. O., Mullis, I. V. S., Gonzalez, E. J., Smith, T. A., & Kelly, D. L. (1996). Science achievement in the middle school years: IEA's their international mathematics and science study (TIMSS) Chestnut Hill, MA: Boston College
23 Kim, H., Chung, W., Jeong, J., Yang, I., & Kim, Y. (1999). A longitudinal trend analysis in affective characteristics related to science. Journal of the Korean Association for Research in Science Education, 19, 194-203
24 Kim, B. (1989). A comparative study on physics education of Korea and Japan. Doctoral Dissertation, Hirosima University, Japan
25 Kwon, J., Choi, B., Kwon, C., Yang, I., Lee, K., & Kim, J. (1999). A longitudinal trend analysis in scientific knowledge achievement progress. Journal of the Korean Association for Research in Science Education, 19, 185-193
26 Choi, J., Lee, W., & Kim, A. (1993). The comparison between the levels of intellectual development of primary school and the contents of primary science. Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education Society, 12, 127-144
27 Lawson, A. E. (1978). The development of validation of a classroom test of formal reasoning. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 15, 11-24   DOI