ERIC Number: EJ1191338
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Sep
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0047-231X
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Higher Level Thinking Questions' Impact on Scientific Models' Complexity and Accuracy
Aghekyan, Rosa
Journal of College Science Teaching, v48 n1 p76-82 Sep 2018
Inclusion of model building in the learning process promotes a deep understanding of scientific content and concepts. Likewise, higher level questioning requires high cognitive demand and critical reasoning and leads to positive educational results. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the conjunction of higher level thinking questioning with scientific model processing would contribute to students' construction of more complex and accurate scientific models. Research participants, upper level undergraduate college students, were required to construct models that shared a synthesis view of the eutrophication process. The business-as-usual group was required to build models on the basis of previous knowledge and/or classroom discussions, whereas the experimental group was required to read and answer questions regarding the process of eutrophication before constructing their models. The collected data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. The results of the data analysis indicated that higher level thinking questioning did not aid students in constructing more complex models. However, it helped students in providing greater detail while building their models, thus improving the models' accuracy.
Descriptors: Thinking Skills, Critical Thinking, Logical Thinking, Scientific Concepts, Models, Accuracy, Difficulty Level, Questioning Techniques, Undergraduate Students, Experimental Groups, Environmental Education, Comparative Analysis, Control Groups, Science Instruction, College Science
National Science Teachers Association. 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782; Fax: 703-243-3924; e-mail: membership@nsta.org; Web site: http://www.nsta.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A