Assessing inquiry skill as a component of scientific literacy

1
Assessing inquiry skill as a component of
scientific literacy

• Author Carl J.Wenning
• Summarized and presented by
• Hagos Aregay
• Date 18/01/2011

2
Purpose of the author

• The purpose of the author is to develop
  operationally defined standards that can be used
  to assess students knowledge and skill associated
  with scientific inquiry

3
An overview

• The terms of scientific literacy and inquiry
• According to the national education standard
  (NRC, 1996) Scientifically literate person
  possess
• science as an inquiry
• Science content
• Science and technology
• Social science in personal and social practice
• History and nature of science
• Unifying concepts and process

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Definition of scientific inquiry

• Based on the natural science education standard,
  Scientific inquiry refers the diverse way in
  which scientist study the natural world and
  proposed explanation based on the evidence
  derived from their work. Inquiry also refers to
  the activity of students in which they develop
  knowledge and understanding of scientific idea,
  as well as an understanding of how scientist
  study the natural world (NRC,1996, p.23)

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Operational definition and a frame work for
teaching Scientific Inquiry Skill

• Inquiry- base learning is a dynamic process
  formulation, testing, reinforcement, revision or
  rejection of metal model takes place.
• Thus, the Author provides a list of
  operationally defined standard that suit for
  inquiry learning ( design for high school)
  Reference 1.doc

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Cont.

• More over, the author specify the levels of
  inquiry spectrum as
• The inquiry level differ one from another
• locus of control of teacher decreases from right
  to left
• Intellectual sophistication increases from right
  to left

Discovery learning Interactive demonstration Inquiry lesson Guided inquiry labs Bounded inquiry labs Free inquiry labs Pure/applied hypothetical inquiry
Low Intellectual sophistication High Low Intellectual sophistication High Low Intellectual sophistication High Low Intellectual sophistication High Low Intellectual sophistication High Low Intellectual sophistication High Low Intellectual sophistication High
Teacher Locus of control student Teacher Locus of control student Teacher Locus of control student Teacher Locus of control student Teacher Locus of control student Teacher Locus of control student Teacher Locus of control student
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Question/problem source procedure
Discovery Teacher identifies problem to be researched guided by teacher to reach a certain conclusion
Interactive demonstration Teacher identifies problem to be researched Teacher control the instrument, but with elegant probe of students prior knowledge
Inquiry lesson Teacher identifies problem to be researched guided by teacher to reach a certain conclusion
Guided inquiry Teacher identifies problem to be researched Guided by multiple teacher-identified question extensive pre-lab orientation
Bounded inquiry Teacher identifies problem to be researched Guided by single teacher-identified question partial pre-lab orientation
Free inquiry students identify problem to be researched Guided by single student-identified question no pre-lab orientation
Reference http//www.dlsu.edu.ph, Author is
same Carl J. Wenning, (2004)
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Scientific Inquiry literacy test
(ScInqLiT)

• The proposed frame work is reviewed by several
  physics teacher, scientist, educators and
  provided reasonable assurance of content
  validity.
• pilot test was administered.
• Based on the result obtained adjustment was made.
  
• Then, it was expected the finalized version has
  increased validity reliability

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Limitation

• The scientific inquiry literacy test is a paper
  and pencil test. As such, it is limited to
  authentically assess student ability.
• Actually , it can be considered as an indicator
• The author call for further research to
  accommodate students actual performance

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Importance

• If the goal of scientific education is to
  attain scientific literacy, some mechanism is
  important to deal with i.e ( ScInqLiT).
• Thus, the a scientific literacy assessment
  instrument has a great impact in curriculum
  design, development and instructional practice,
  informed decision making and program evaluation

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Conclusion

• The whole purpose of the article is that
• Identifying weakness in students understanding
• Improving instructional practice
• Determining program effectiveness in relation to
  teaching scientific inquiry skill.

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Cont.

• Thank you