scholarly journals Examining secondary school students’ views of model evaluation through an integrated framework of personal epistemology

Author(s):  
Silvia Wen-Yu Lee ◽  
Hsin-Kai Wu ◽  
Hsin-Yi Chang

AbstractThe aim of the study was to investigate students’ views of model evaluation through the lens of personal epistemology. We developed an integrated analytical framework by combining a developmental framework, including absolutist, multiplist, and evaluatist, with a multi-dimensional framework, including limits of knowing, certainty of knowing, and criteria of knowing. Furthermore, we examined the potential influence of the question contexts and the students’ grade levels. A total of 188 secondary school students were surveyed. Students answered two sets of model evaluation questions based on two scientific contexts. After reading the information about the two models, the students had to choose from three epistemic assumptions and then provide written justifications explaining their choice of assumptions. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted for the multiple-choice questions and the written responses. In both contexts there were higher percentages of 11th-grade students choosing the evaluatist assumptions than the eighth-grade students. For students choosing multiplist and evaluatist assumptions, the 11th-grade students were more likely than the eighth-grade students to think in terms of pragmatic and evidential criteria as the criteria of knowing. Different contexts of the questions evoked different views of model evaluation particularly regarding the limits of knowing. Four additional categories of epistemic levels also emerged from the data. This study provides a new framework for understanding students’ thinking about model evaluation. Implications and suggestions for future research are provided.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanife Gamze Hastürk ◽  
Eyüp Ökkeşoğulları

The interplay between culture and technology is dynamic. Since ancient times, science has had a major impact on people, and people have determined the general direction of science progress. In this way, there is mutual influence between society and science. Socioscientific issues have emerged as a result of the interaction process between science and society. In this context, it was aimed to examine eighth grade students' attitudes towards socioscientific issues. The study was conducted with 136 eighth grade students studying in a city in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey in the 2018-2019 academic year. Quantitative data collection and analysis methods were used in this study, which aimed to examine the secondary school students’ attitudes towards socioscientific issues. “The Attitudes towards Socioscientific Issues Scale (ATSIS) " was used as data collection tool in the study. According to the findings of the factorial ANOVA test; it was determined that eighth grade students' showed positive attitude on socioscientific issues. While students had positive attitudes related to interest and usefulness of SSI, they also had neither positive nor negative attitudes related to interest and usefulness of SSI. In addition, it was observed that the general attitude levels about socioscientific issues and the mean scores of interest and usefulness, liking and anxiety sub-dimensions did not differentiate according to gender. Based on the findings, the importance of socioscientific issues was emphasized and recommendations were made to program makers, researchers and practitioners on teaching.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanife Gamze Hastürk ◽  
◽  
Eyüp Ökkeşoğulları ◽  

The interplay between culture and technology is dynamic. Since ancient times, science has had a major impact on people, and people have determined the general direction of science progress. In this way, there is mutual influence between society and science. Socioscientific issues have emerged as a result of the interaction process between science and society. In this context, it was aimed to examine eighth grade students' attitudes towards socioscientific issues. The study was conducted with 136 eighth grade students studying in a city in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey in the 2018-2019 academic year. Quantitative data collection and analysis methods were used in this study, which aimed to examine the secondary school students’ attitudes towards socioscientific issues. “The Attitudes towards Socioscientific Issues Scale (ATSIS) " was used as data collection tool in the study. According to the findings of the factorial ANOVA test; it was determined that eighth grade students' showed positive attitude on socioscientific issues. While students had positive attitudes related to interest and usefulness of SSI, they also had neither positive nor negative attitudes related to interest and usefulness of SSI. In addition, it was observed that the general attitude levels about socioscientific issues and the mean scores of interest and usefulness, liking and anxiety sub-dimensions did not differentiate according to gender. Based on the findings, the importance of socioscientific issues was emphasized and recommendations were made to program makers, researchers and practitioners on teaching.


2005 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Majella J. Albion ◽  
Gerard J. Fogarty

A comparison is made between the career decision making of secondary school students who are also elite athletes and a sample of non-athlete students. The 226 athletes (111 females, 115 males) in the study were on sporting scholarships with the Australian Institute of Sport or state/territory institutions. Measures used included the Career Decision Difficulties Questionnaire and the Athletic Identity Measurement Scale. The non-athlete data were obtained from 272 secondary school students (149 females, 123 males). Only three athletes indicated a singular focus on a career in professional sport. There were significant relationships between athletic identity and career decision difficulties, especially in relation to dysfunctional myths, and there was only one difference between the difficulties reported by athletes and non-athletes. Tentative conclusions are drawn about the factors that impact on career decision making among elite athletes and possible directions for future research.


2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sibnath Deb ◽  
Esben Strodl ◽  
Jiandong Sun

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the prevalence of academic stress and exam anxiety among private secondary school students in India as well as the associations with socio-economic and study-related factors. Design/methodology/approach – Participants were 400 adolescent students (52 percent male) from five private secondary schools in Kolkata who were studying in grades 10 and 12. Participants were selected using a multi-stage sampling technique and were assessed using a study-specific questionnaire. Findings – Findings revealed that 35 and 37 percent reported high or very high levels of academic stress and exam anxiety respectively. All students reported high levels of academic stress, but those who had lower grades reported higher levels of stress than those with higher grades. Students who engaged in extra-curricula activities were more likely to report exam anxiety than those who did not engage in extra-curricula activities. Practical implications – Private high school students in India report high levels of academic stress and exam anxiety. As such there is a need to develop effective interventions to help these students better manage their stress and anxiety. Originality/value – This is the first study the authors are aware of that explores the academic stress levels of private secondary school students in India. The study identifies factors that may be associated with the experience of high levels of stress that need to be explored further in future research.


2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 85-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ufuk Karakuş ◽  
Osman Çepni ◽  
Bahadır Kılcan

The purpose of this study is to indicate primary school students' views on changes in the socioeconomic and cultural structures of population, which stem from touristic activities. The ffects of variables on these views will be tested in the study. 676 primary school students of sixth, seventh, and eighth grade in Safranbolu, Karabük participated in the study. Data were collected by 5-point Likert type questionnaire developed by Özüpekçe (2008). Results mirrored that students' views on touristic activities were generally positive. It was also seen that students' views differed significantly according to the variables such as school's geographic position, students' grades, and families' economic status.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-43
Author(s):  
N.S. Mumthas ◽  
Shyma Usman Abdulla

Physics and Mathematics are two deeply interlinked domains of Science. Mathematics is considered as the language in which the Physics theories are built by employing mathematical symbols and operations to make equations and representations in the world of Physics completely meaningful. In spite of being the backbone of Physics, the use of Mathematics principles and operations in Physics is the root cause of most of the issues and hassles aroused among students who learn Physics. This is an investigation on the substandard performance in mathematical problem solving in Physics among higher secondary school students by looking into the responses of teachers and students. The responses obtained from 21 higher secondary Physics teachers through questionnaire were studied using percentage analysis and the four major categories of ‘Difficulties in Mathematical Problem Solving in Physics’ faced by students viz., ‘Creating or Identifying the Formula’, ‘Extracting Information from Diagrams’, ‘Using Physics Concepts to Create Schematic Diagrams’ and ‘Application of Mathematics’ to solve Physics problems. were identified, The investigators used ‘Test on Mathematical Problem Solving in Physics’ with 40 multiple choice questions on select basic topics from ‘Motion’, which was informed by the Physics teachers to be one of the strenuous concepts for students while solving problems. The extent of each category of difficulty in the respective topics based on the students’ responses in the test was studied to rank them. This study also highlights some suggestions for improving the teaching and learning of mathematical problems in Physics at higher secondary level.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-83
Author(s):  
Tufan Inaltekin

The aim of this research is to examine the perceptions of technology-based learning and teaching in the science courses of secondary school students. This research sample is made up of 396 students studying in the eighth grade of seven secondary schools in the center of Kars, Turkey. This research includes a case study design. As a data collection tool, an important technical drawing is used in the literature of science education to reveal the mental approaches of individuals against facts and events. Data are analysed through drawing analysis. This research reveals three key conclusions. First, it is understood that the perception of students in the eighth grade of secondary schools for the use of technology in existing science courses is largely composed of smart boards. Second, it is understood that the technological systems that students demand in science courses should be designed specifically in a way that they can use independently. Third, it has shown that smart boards among the technological systems are largely in the grip of science teachers, but students are not able to use these technological systems adequately in the courses. Keywords: Science courses, secondary school students, technology-based teaching, drawing analysis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-37
Author(s):  
Aneta Bac ◽  
Aleksandra Kulis ◽  
Edyta Janus ◽  
Paulina Aleksander-Szymanowicz ◽  
Wojciech Dobrowolski ◽  
...  

Introduction: Poland has been a member of the European Union for 17 years; however, the societal view of occupational therapy is limited and different from that in the other countries of the European Union or the world. The aim of the study was to determine the familiarity with occupational therapy among secondary school students who are the future candidates for higher medical studies and potential members of interdisciplinary teams. Material and methods: The study encompassed 1865 randomly selected secondary school students (1212 women and 653 men). The research was conducted with the use of a questionnaire with 18 multiple choice questions. Results: The majority of the respondents admitted that they were familiar with terms occupational therapy and occupational therapist but the terms were unknown to 416 persons. 1414 respondents indicated that in their opinion occupational therapist can work in rehabilitation centres. The highest number of the respondents indicated children with inborn defects, such as Down syndrome (1261 persons) in the groups of people that an occupational therapist may work with. Conclusions: The presented results indicate a relatively low level of knowledge of the respondents about occupational therapy, which reflects the overall situation of the profession in Poland.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0242189
Author(s):  
Florian Stern ◽  
Marine Delaval ◽  
Kostas Kampourakis ◽  
Andreas Müller

In this article, we present the development and validation of an implicit association test for measuring secondary school students’ associations between genetics concepts and teleology concepts on the one hand, and between genetics concepts and essentialism concepts on the other hand. In total, 169 students from 16 school classes took part in the study, from January 2018 to May 2018. We investigated the strength of the aforementioned associations and the influence of various covariates such as gender, age, school class, or previous learning of biology on the association of teleology or essentialism concepts with genetics concepts through an analysis of covariance and a multi-level analysis. We found moderate associations between genetics and teleology concepts, as well as between genetics and essentialism concepts. These results might reflect a tendency of students of different ages and with various backgrounds to think about genes in terms of goals (teleology) and stability (essentialism), which should be investigated further in future research.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-82
Author(s):  
Aslı Bahar CELIK ◽  
Aslı GORGULU ARI

The aim of this study is to examine the attitude of secondary school students towards science and science course. The descriptive survey model, in which participants' views, interests, skills, abilities and attitudes can be determined, was chosen from the general screening models in order to determine the attitudes of the students towards the Science and Science course. The research was carried out with 197 secondary school students (46 fifth, 36 sixth, 60 seventh , 55 eighth grade students) at the public school in Sarıyer, İstanbul. The Attitude Scale of Science Lesson was applied as a data collection tool. Frequency ratios of the data obtained were calculated. According to the results of the research, it was observed that the attitudes of the students towards the science course were positive, but their attitudes towards science were not positive and they had prejudices about this subject.


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