Promoting Informal Reasoning Skills And Understanding Of Interaction Among Living Things Through Socio-Scientific (Ssi) Based Activities
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Date
2015-07
Authors
BOOPALAN, PARIPURANY
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Abstract
This study was aimed to investigate the effectiveness of integrating socio-scientific based activities into primary science curriculum in promoting informal reasoning skills and understanding of interaction among living things. For this purpose, eight SSI activities were used to improve pupils’ understanding of interaction among living things and informal reasoning skills. A total of 68 (N= 68) year six pupils who belong to two different classes from a primary school participated in this study. The socio-scientific activities were designed based on constructivist learning approach using questioning, small group and whole class discussions techniques. Employing one-way repeated measure design pupils’ understanding on interaction among living things was measured quantitatively using Science Concept Test (SCT) which was administered at three different times: pre-test; post test 1(after 4th activity) and post test 2 (after 8th activity). Pupils’ informal reasoning skills were measured qualitatively in a progressive manner using open ended questionnaire after each activity. The outcome of one-way repeated measure ANOVA shows that socio-scientific activities improved pupils’ understanding is significant [F (1.313, 84.015) = 189.8; p = 0.000. eta = 0.748]. The open-ended questionnaire responses obtained from the pupils throughout all eight activities shows that the SSI activities improved their informal reasoning skills in terms of reasoning levels, reasoning modes and decision making modes. The pupils tend to use more supportive arguments, counterarguments and constructed more rebuttals in supporting their claims. In
terms of reasoning modes pupils produced more social, ecological, economic and science oriented arguments. Additionally, more pupils tend to make evidence based decisions than intuitive decisions. Furthermore, pupils through reflective journal writing provided positive feedbacks such as the activities were interesting, they liked the lessons and expecting for this kind of teaching to be implemented more frequently.
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Promoting Informal Reasoning Skills And Understanding Of Interaction Among Living Things , Through Socio-Scientific (Ssi) Based Activities