Disciplinary Context Effect on the Performance of Students' Scientific Inquiry Competencies in Hands-On-Based Assessment

• In Event: Poster Session 9
  In Poster Session: Research in Science Learning and Teaching Poster Session 2

Abstract

The main purpose of this current study was to develop a hands-on based performance assessment instrument for measuring students’ scientific inquiry competencies across different disciplinary contexts: physics, chemistry, biology, to validate the instrument, and to examine the effects of the characteristics of disciplinary context. 251 eighth graders from five middle schools participated this study. Overall, the results suggest that the instrument of students’ scientific inquiry competencies is well-targeted. Measures from this instrument are reasonably valid and reliable, thus are appropriate for assessing students’ four main scientific inquiry competencies. The findings also indicate that there are no significant interaction effects between the disciplinary contexts and the scientific inquiry competencies, which contributes to the measurement framework of the scientific inquiry competencies.

Authors

• Shaohui Chi, University at Buffalo - SUNY

• Xiufeng Liu, University at Buffalo - SUNY

• Zuhao Wang, East China Normal University