BeyondPISA –whatourresearchsaysabout

thelevelsofScientificLiteracy

among gymnasium students

Miia Rannikmäe

ReadinessofTeacherstoPromoteSLamongEstonian Students

Background• Newcompetence-basedcurriculumlaunchedinEstoniain2010.• Purposeofscienceeducationisstatedas- toenhancescientificliteracy(SL).•More emphasison:inter-disciplinarity,problem-solving,decision-making,inquiryskills (including NatureofScience),careerawareness,positiveattitudes.

Problemaddressed

¢ Whatchange,instudents’levelsofsciencecognitivelearning,canbedeterminedoverthegymnasiumyears?

¢ Cancharacteristics/indicesbedetermineddescribinglevelsofgymnasiumstudents’scientificliteracy?

Researchquestions

Theoretical background• The goal of science education is to promote SL(Roberts, 2007; OECD, 2007; Choi et al., 2011; Sarkar & Corrigan, 2014).

• SL in the current study is defined as:• developing an ability, to creatively utilise appropriate evidence-based scientific knowledge and skills, particularly with relevancefor everyday life and a career, in solving personally challengingyet meaningful scientific problems as well as making,responsible socio-scientific decisions (Holbrook & Rannikmäe, 2009).

• SL encompasses Competence-based curricula and Student learningoutcomes (e.g. Eurydice, 2002; 2011; Dillon, 2009; DeBoer, 2011).

• SL promoted through Real-life contexts (e.g. Bybee, 1993; Millar &Osborne, 1998; Bennet, Lubben & Hogarth, 2007; Murcia, 2009).

• Arepresentativesample,basedonstudentsfrom44schools

• Schoolswerechosenbasedonlocation(thecapital;citieswithatleasttwogymnasiums;ruralareas),andNationalexaminationresults.

ResearchSample

• Longitudinal study (N=2216)

In 2011– testing grade 10In 2013– testing grade 12

ResearchDesign

Instruments

1. Cognitive test (4 scenarios)

2. Nature of science (NOS)

3. C-map test (computer-based)

4.Attitudinal questionnaire(self-perceptionsrelatedtocompetencesand21st centuryskills;viewstowardsscienceclassesandfuturecareer)

http://epood.dolores.ee/sea-beauty

Scenario 1DeadSea

http://www.atlastours.net/jordan/deadsea.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea

https://ferrelljenkins.wordpress.com/tag/dead-sea/

http://www.wysinfo.com/Dead_Sea/dead_sea_works.htm/

http://urbanrabbits.eu/startling-mountain-flowers-desktop-wallpaper.html

Surviving inhighmountains

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Boiling_water.jpg

http://www.mountainprofessor.com/sunburn.html

Scenario 2

http://design-site.net/artmosaic/instant-cool-packs

Scenario 3Training….injuring an

ankle

http://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/general-safety/first-aid/are-instant-cold-or-gel-packs-as-good-as-ice

Lactose intolerance??

http://happyherbivore.com/2013/07/what-is-lactose-intolerance-plant-based-vegan/

http://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/lactose-intolerance.htm

Scenario 4

Skills(examplesby task)

Grade

% scores per school groupI II III IV

1 (%)

2(%)

3(%)

1(%)

2(%)

3(%)

1(%)

2(%)

3(%)

1(%)

2(%)

3(%)

Scientificproblem-solving

10 72 11 17 83 8 9 80 13 7 86 8 6

12 70 13 17 79 10 11 80 9 11 77 9 14

Decisionmakingreasoning

10 60 33 7 76 21 3 66 29 5 78 19 3

12 40 42 18 52 40 8 54 36 10 50 44 6

Inquiryskills 10 38 32 30 43 35 22 45 32 23 44 36 2012 33 34 33 44 32 24 44 32 24 51 29 20

Use ofinter-disciplinaryknowledge

10 16 59 25 62 11 27 65 12 23 57 16 28

12 57 8 35 59 11 30 58 14 28 63 12 25

Memorisationofcontent

10 20 26 54 24 26 50 21 32 48 22 30 48

12 27 19 54 31 25 43 33 24 43 34 26 40

Resultsfor allcognitivetests

Students achievement in thecognitive part of the test

Grade

DifferencesbetweenExamination groups

I&II I&III I&IV IV&III

Scientificproblem-solving

ProblemN10=1116N12=932

10F=0,107p=0,006

- --

12 - - - -

Decision-makingandreasoning

DecisionN10=1116N12=932

10F=0,204p=0,000 -

F=0,224p=0,000

F=0,144p=0,020

12F=0,218p=0,008

F=0,216p=0,009

F=0,220p=0,008

-

Useofinterdisciplinaryknowledge

Use of interdisciplinaryknowledgeN10=1083N12=953

10 -F=0,212p=0,026

--

12 - - --

12 F=0,261p=0,009 - - -

Memorisation ofsciencecontent

Knowledge BN10=1116N12=932

10 - - - -

12 - - - -

Knowledge GN10=1128N12=946

10F=0,114p=0,048

F=0,121p=0,038

--

12F=-0,160p=0,022

- --

Knowledge KN10=1083N12=953

10F=0,314p=0,001

F=0,462p=0,000

F=0,347p=0,000

-

12-

F=0,246p=0,016

F=0,349p=0,000 -

Knowledge FN10=1094N12=938

10- - - -

12F=0,270p=0,016

-F=0,275p=0,019

-

Grade10and12students’achievementincontextualizedtestinstruments.

Studentsachievementinthecognitivepartofthetest

Grade10 Grade12 Differenceinmeans

Mean SD Mean SDt p

Memorisation of science content 2.46 1.20 2.65 1.17 -4.43 0.000

Use of interdisciplinary knowledge 2.33 0.86 2.43 0,90 -3.19 0.001

Scientific problem-solving 1.30 0.73 1.35 0.77 -2.05 0.041

Decision-making and reasoning 1.07 0.79 1.31 0,97 -8.76 0.000

Results from self-perception

• Self-perceptions(as%)towardstheirownscientificliteracyability• Higherininterpretingfiguresandtables(79%),indrawingconclusions (77%)andinevidencebaseddecisionmaking(57%).• Lowerinsolvingscientificproblem(38%)andinexplainingphenomenascientifically (45%).

• Self-perceptions(as%)towardsreceivedscienceteaching• Differencesbetweenperceptionsagainstbiology/geographyvschemistry/physics.

• Self-perceptions(as%)towardsfuturecareer• Sciencerelatedcareernotperceivedfavourably(77%).• Sciencerelatedprofessionsnotintroducedtostudents(38%).

ResultsfromNOS

• Pseudo-science versus science.

• Astrology(horoscopes)– studentshavedifficultiesimplementingscienceknowledgeinnewsituations.

• Scienceislinkedwithexperiences,scientifichypothesisaresimpleguesses

• Positivist (scientific knowledge – an absolute truth) – relativistway of thinking

NOprogressfrom grade 10to 12.

Example of Cmap´s

Changeoflevelsbystudents

Change in level at grade 12

Total-3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3

Level atgrade10

1 0 0 0 79 98 34 22 233

2 0 0 107 193 95 79 0 474

3 0 62 177 103 104 0 0 446

4 8 45 59 70 0 0 0 182

Total 8 107 343 445 297 113 22 1335

Levels of SLII-III

•Cognitivepart– studentisabletoreproducesubjectspecificknowledge,haslimitedabilityininquiryskills,problemsolvingandinreasoneddecision-making.•NOS – studentdistinguishsciencefrompseudoscienceinlimitedwaybyusingeverydaylanguage,alsomakinglogicalmistakes.•Cmap – studentcreateslimitednumberofsentences,formulatesincorrectsentences,demonstrateslimitednumberofinterdisciplinarylinksbetweenconcepts.•Attitudes– studenthasmoderateself-perceptionrelatedtoskills,especiallyrelatedwithproblem-solvinganddecision-making.