Students' Understandings of Scientific Inquiry: North and South America

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 48
  In Roundtable Session: Understandings of Scientific Inquiry: A Collaborative International Study of Grade 7 Students

Abstract

Introduction and objective
Understanding scientific inquiry (SI) is critical to the development of students’ scientific literacy (Lederman, Lederman & Antik, 2013). However, SI research is scarce. The aim of this study was to identify the understandings of SI in 7th grade students from North and South America.

Theoretical framework
Current science education reform documents emphasize the importance of that students develop abilities to do inquiry and have informed views about SI (National Research Council [NRC], 2011). Lederman et al. (2014) describes eight aspects of SI appropriate in the context of K-12 classrooms. Hence, students should develop informed understandings of the following aspects: Scientific investigations begin with a question, There is no single method followed in all investigations, Inquiry procedures are guided by the question, All scientists performing the same procedures may not get the same results, Inquiry procedures can influence results, Research conclusions must be consistent with the data collected, Scientific data is different to scientific evidence, and Explanations are developed from data collected and previous knowledge.

Methods, participants, and data sources
The participants were representative samples of 7th grade students from USA (n=164), Brazil (n=169), and Chile (n=142). The study is a qualitative study and the VASI questionnaire was used to collect data. The questionnaire is a valid and reliable instrument that address eight aspects of SI and it was answered using a pencil/paper format in the corresponding students’ language. Each questionnaire was scored by a local team in each country and they received training provided by the instrument´s authors about scoring and reliability. Each aspect of SI was scored for each student as No answer (NA), Naïve (N), Mixed (M), and Informed (I) according to the students´ responses to in each question. Finally, 20% of the students were interviewed for validity purposes.

Results, Conclusions and Implications
The results show that 7th grade students in North and South America show naïve understanding about SI. The USA sample shows Naïve views in eight aspects: Multiple methods (74.4%), Data versus evidence (72%), Explanations from data and previous knowledge (70.7%), Procedures are guided by the question (63.4%), Same procedures, different results (62.8%), Procedure influence results (63.4%), Begins with a question (50.6%), and Conclusions consistent with data collected (37.8%). Brazilian students held naïve views in eight aspects: Begins with a question (83.2%), Same procedures, different results (82.8%), Procedure influence results (81.1%), Data versus evidence (75.7%), Procedures are guided by the question (74.5%), Multiple methods (74.3%), Explanations from data and previous knowledge (66.3%), and Conclusions consistent with data collected (68%). Finally, Chilean students show naïve views in seven aspects: Multiple methods (75.3%), Procedures are guided by the question (67.6%), Same procedures, different results (63.4%), Data does versus evidence (58.5%), Explanations from data and previous knowledge (56.3%), Conclusions consistent with data collected (58.6%), and Begins with a question (53.5%). The teachers' lack of understanding of SI, the “implicit” instruction of the aspects, and the persistent teaching of "the scientific method" can explain the students’ results and the implications in teacher education and curriculum developers.

Author

• Norman G. Lederman, Illinois Institute of Technology