ISSN:0022-4308    

DOI:10.1002/tea.3660240302

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1987

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractThis study examined the differential effectiveness of traditional and discovery methods of instruction for the teaching of science concepts, understandings about science, and scientific attitudes, to learners at the concrete and formal level of cognitive development. The dependent variables were achievement, understanding science, and scientific attitude; assessed through the use of theACS Achievement Test(high school chemistry, Form 1979), the Test on Understanding Science (Form W), and theTest on Scientific Attitude, respectively. Mode of instruction and cognitive development were the independent variables. Subjects were 120 Form IV (11th grade) males enrolled in chemistry classes in Lusaka, Zambia. Sixty of these were concrete reasoners (mean age = 18.23) randomly selected from one of the two schools. The remaining 60 subjects were formal reasoners (mean age 18.06) randomly selected from a second boys' school. Each of these two groups was randomly split into two subgroups with 30 subjects. Traditional and discovery approaches were randomly assigned to the two subgroups of concrete reasoners and to the two subgroups of formal reasoners. Prior to instruction, the subjects were pretested using theACS Achievement Test, theTest on Understanding Science, and theTest on Scientific Attitude. Subjects received instruction covering eight chemistry topics during approximately 10 weeks. Posttests followed using the same standard tests. Two‐way analysis of covariance, with pretest scores serving as covariates was used and 0.05 level of significant was accepted. Tukey WSD technique was used as a follow‐up test where applicable. It was found that (1) for the formal reasoners, the discovery group earned significantly higher understanding science scores than the traditional group. For the concrete reasoners mode of instruction did not make a difference; (2) overall, formal reasoners earned significantly higher achievement scores than concrete reasoners; (3) in general, subjects taught by the discovery approach earned significantly higher scientific attitude scores than those taught by the traditional approach. The traditional group outperformed the discovery group in achievement scores. It was concluded that the traditional approach might be an efficient instructional mode for the teaching of scientific facts and principles to high school students, while the discovery approach seemed to be more suitable for teaching scientific attitudes and for promoting understanding about science and scientists among formal operational learn

ISSN:0022-4308    

DOI:10.1002/tea.3660240303

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1987

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractThe relationship between spatial ability and performance in organic chemistry was studied in four organic chemistry courses designed for students with a variety of majors including agriculture, biology, health sciences, pre‐med, pre‐vet, pharmacy, medicinal chemistry, chemistry, and chemical engineering.Students with high spatial scores did significantly better on questions which required problem solving skills, such as completing a reaction or outlining a multi‐step synthesis, and questions which required students to mentally manipulate two‐dimensional representations of a molecule. Spatial ability was not significant, however, for questions which could be answered by rote memory or by the application of simple algorithms.Students who drew preliminary figures or extra figures when answering questions were more likely to get the correct answer. High spatial ability students were more likely to draw preliminary figures, even for questions that did not explicitly require these drawings. When questions required preliminary or extra figures, low spatial ability students were more likely to draw figures that were incorrect. Low spatial ability students were also more likely to draw structures that were lopsided, ill‐proportioned, and nonsymmetric.The results of this study are interpreted in terms of a model which argues that high spatial ability students are better at the early stages of problem solving described as “understanding” the problem. A model is also discussed which explains why students who draw preliminary or extra figures for questions are more likely to get co

ISSN:0022-4308    

DOI:10.1002/tea.3660240304

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1987

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractAmbivalence is a psychological state in which a person holds mixed feelings (positive and negative) towards some psychological object. Standard methods of attitude measurement, such as Likert and semantic differential scales, ignore the possibility of ambivalence; ambivalent responses cannot be distinguished from neutral ones. This neglect arises out of an assumption that positive and negative affects towards a particular psychological object are bipolar, i.e., unidimensional in opposite directions. This assumption is frequently untenable. Conventional item statistics and measures of test internal consistency are ineffective as checks on this assumption; it is possible for a scale to be multidimensional and still display apparent internal consistency. Factor analysis is a more effective procedure. Methods of measuring ambivalence are suggested, and implications for research are discussed.

ISSN:0022-4308    

DOI:10.1002/tea.3660240305

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1987

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractThis study examined the work that students completed during six or seven week units of instruction in four different science classes. The purpose of the study was to assess the kinds of learning opportunities students had as they dealt with science content and the problems teachers faced in managing different kinds of assignments, particularly assignments that required students to use higher level cognitive operations. Management strategies associated with these assignments are described and the effects of these strategies are considered.

ISSN:0022-4308    

DOI:10.1002/tea.3660240306

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1987

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractThe National Assessment of Educational Progress Science Assessment has consistently revealed small gender differences on science content items but not on science inquiry items. This assessment differs from others in that respondents can choose “I don't know” rather than guessing. This paper examines explanations for the gender differences including (a) differential prior instruction, (b) differential response to uncertainty and use of the “I don't know” response, (c) differential response to figurally presented items, and (d) different attitudes towards science. Of these possible explanations, the first two received support. Females are more likely to use the “I don't know” response, especially for items with physical science content or masculine themes such as football. To ameliorate this situation we need more effective science instruction and more gender‐neutral ass

ISSN:0022-4308    

DOI:10.1002/tea.3660240307

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1987

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

AbstractA paper by Norris presents scientific observation as a highly inferential activity in which human senses have become secondary to instrumentation. Norris takes examples from elementary and secondary curricula to support his position. This paper examines Norris's contentions from two perspectives, that of cognitive psychology and that of the philosophy of science. It is argued here that Norris has discussed only one aspect of observation, theory‐confirming observation. Another, pretheoretic or theory‐building observation, is more closely related to the curriculum activities he criticized. From a cognitive psychology perspective the theory‐confirming observation is of use to the expert, but for novices the absence of domain‐specific knowledge and of sophisticated problem‐solving processes may render theory‐building observation more meaningful for

ISSN:0022-4308    

DOI:10.1002/tea.3660240308

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1987

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0022-4308    

DOI:10.1002/tea.3660240301

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1987

数据来源: WILEY