Epistemological Views of Middle School Students on Scientific Inquiry

Abstract

In this study, epistemological views of middle school students on scientific inquiry were investigated. The Views of Scientific Inquiry Questionnaire was administered to 141 9th graders. The questionnaire consists of five open-ended items concerning the contexts of scientific investigation, the methods of scientific investigation, the interpretation of data, and the data and evidence. Analyses of the results indicated that their epistemological understanding of scientific inquiry were not adequate on the whole. Although the students suggested a variety of factors influencing scientists' decisions on the questions and the methods of investigation, many of the factors were minor. Only a few students specifically described the activities of scientists and the constituents of "scientific" activity, and students did not demonstrate adequate understanding of experimentation in science and multiple scientific methods. Moreover, the percentage of students who possessed the informed view that data can be variously interpreted was found to be low. The students also did not understand the distinctions between data and evidence. Educational implications are discussed.

Exploring Korean Middle School Students’ View about Scientific Inquiry

“…For question 4, students were either confused by, misunderstood, or had trouble distinguishing between data and evidence. This implies that students failed to understand the differences between inquiry results and inference through the interpretation of data (Han et al, 2012). In Korea, most classes end lessons by announcing students' experimental results or by arriving at conclusions that are based solely on their teachers' opinions (Yang et al, 2006).…”

The Effects of Safety Training Involving Non-Destructive Testing Among Students at Specialized Vocational High Schools

“…It is necessary to adopt educational intervention strategies that protect students by enabling them to voice their attitudes regarding compliance with the NSA. 8) In doing so, the interpretation of scientific materials may differ in terms of which portion of the material is more heavily weighted or with regards to how individual materials are compiled, although the same materials are used [11,12]. Thus, it is necessary to design educational programs based on the content relevant to workplace learning, which focuses on students' safety.…”