scholarly journals Multiple-Choice Exams: An Obstacle for Higher-Level Thinking in Introductory Science Classes

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 294-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrin F. Stanger-Hall
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Gender Bias ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Study Strategies ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Introductory Science ◽  
Science Classes

Learning science requires higher-level (critical) thinking skills that need to be practiced in science classes. This study tested the effect of exam format on critical-thinking skills. Multiple-choice (MC) testing is common in introductory science courses, and students in these classes tend to associate memorization with MC questions and may not see the need to modify their study strategies for critical thinking, because the MC exam format has not changed. To test the effect of exam format, I used two sections of an introductory biology class. One section was assessed with exams in the traditional MC format, the other section was assessed with both MC and constructed-response (CR) questions. The mixed exam format was correlated with significantly more cognitively active study behaviors and a significantly better performance on the cumulative final exam (after accounting for grade point average and gender). There was also less gender-bias in the CR answers. This suggests that the MC-only exam format indeed hinders critical thinking in introductory science classes. Introducing CR questions encouraged students to learn more and to be better critical thinkers and reduced gender bias. However, student resistance increased as students adjusted their perceptions of their own critical-thinking abilities.

scholarly journals Critical thinking skills: The academic ability, mastering concepts and analytical skill of undergraduate students

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tutut Indria Permana ◽  
Iin Hindun ◽  
Ndzani Latifatur Rofi'ah ◽  
Ardiani Samti Nur Azizah
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Technology Development ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Academic Ability ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Correlated Factors ◽  
Analytical Skill

Science and technology development in the 21st-century has been demanding educators to provide learning activities which stimulate students’ critical thinking skills. This study aimed to find out the correlated factors of the students’ critical thinking skills as well as of which was the strongest determinant in leveling the skills. The subject of this correlational research was 112 undergraduate students in the Department of Biology Education, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang who took Botany course. There were four variables measured in this study, namely academic ability, mastering concepts, analytical skill, and critical thinking skills. The data of academic ability was obtained from students' cumulative index in the previous semester while the three other variables were measured using final exam test. All of the variables then analyzed using multiple linear regression. The results showed that the three predictor variables (mastering concepts, academic ability, and analytical skill) gave effective contributions toward students’ critical thinking skills, with the percentages of 3.84%, 32.25%, and 54.26% respectively. Therefore, the results of this study could be a basic reference in designing learning process which empower the students’ critical thinking skills.

scholarly journals A brief history of pharmacy admissions in North America

2019 ◽  
Vol 152 (6) ◽  
pp. 370-375
Author(s):  
Erin Davis ◽  
Richard Braha ◽  
Shannon McAlorum ◽  
Debbie Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Academic Success ◽  
Clinical Performance ◽  
The United States ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Effective Measure ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Bachelor Of Science ◽  
Multiple Mini Interview

The move from a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy to a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, both in the United States and in Canada, has been accompanied by a general move towards increased prepharmacy admission requirements and longer pharmacy programs. Historically, the most thoroughly researched pharmacy admissions variables include grade point average (GPA), Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT), interviews and critical thinking tests. Most programs now require a combination of academic (GPA ± PCAT) and nonacademic characteristics (e.g., interviews, volunteering, critical thinking tests, essays). This review focuses on GPA and the PCAT as academic admissions measures and the interview (both traditional and the multiple mini-interview) and critical thinking tests as nonacademic measures. There is evidence that prepharmacy GPA, the PCAT and admissions interviews are correlated with academic success in a pharmacy program. Repeating a prepharmacy course is a negative predictor of academic success. The multiple mini-interview and various critical thinking tests have been studied in pharmacy admissions, but the evidence to date does not support their use for predicting success. Several areas require further research, including finding an effective measure of reasoning and critical thinking skills. The relationship between admission test scores and clinical performance also requires further study, as academic achievement in pharmacy programs has been the main measure of success to date.

scholarly journals Four-Tier Multiple Choice Test Characterized by Local Wisdom Values for Analyzing Critical Thinking Skills

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 97
Author(s):  
Zuafatun Ni'mah ◽  
Qisthi Fariyani ◽  
Agus Sudarmanto
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Confidence Level ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Choice Test ◽  
Multiple Choice Test ◽  
Validity And Reliability ◽  
Test Instrument ◽  
Category Type

<p>This study aims to develop a four-tier multiple choice test instrument characterized by the values of local wisdom to describe the characteristics of the instrument, determine the validity and reliability of the instrument, determine the characteristics of items, and analyze the critical thinking skills of class X students on Momentum and Impulse material. This research is Research and Development (R&amp;D) and uses the Borg and Gall development model. The research methods used included interviews, tests, questionnaires, and documentation. The four levels of the four-tier multiple choice test instrument consist of: multiple choice questions, answer confidence level, reason choice, and reason confidence level. Validity testing by the three validators obtained the result that the instrument developed was valid. Reliability testing shows that the developed question instrument is reliable with the acquisition of a value of 0.946. The test questions consist of 14 questions in the medium category and 7 questions in the difficult category. The difference in power index is 0.22 to 0.53 which consists of 11 good enough questions, 6 good questions, and 4 very good questions. Overall results of critical thinking skills of students 11.93% in the very critical category, 5.93% in the critical category, 12.2% in the less critical category type 1A (LC1A), 10.87% in the less critical category type 1B ( LC1B), 8.56% in the less critical category type 2A (LC2A), 9% in the less critical category type 2B (LC2B), and 41.36% in the non-critical category.</p>

scholarly journals The Implementation of Discovery Learning Model with Scientific Learning Approach to Improve Students’ Critical Thinking in Learning History

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 106
Author(s):  
Edi Nurcahyo ◽  
Leo Agung S ◽  
Djono Djono
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Discovery Learning ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
History Teachers ◽  
Learning History ◽  
Scientific Approach ◽  
Innovative Learning

Historical learning has not reached optimal in the learning process. It is caused by the history teachers’ learning model has not used the innovative learning models. Furthermore, it supported by the perception of students to the history subject because it does not become final exam (UN) subject so it makes less improvement and builds less critical thinking in students’ daily learning. This is due to the lack of awareness of historical events and the availability of history books for students and teachers in the library are still lacking. Discovery learning with scientific approach encourages students to solve problems actively and able to improve students' critical thinking skills with scientific approach so student can build scientific thinking include observing, asking, reasoning, trying, and networking.

scholarly journals THE DEVELOPMENT OF CLASS-BASED ASSESSMENT TO MEASURE STUDENT CRITICAL THINKING ON CHEMICAL LEARNING USING THE CONTEXTUAL TEACHING AND LEARNING MODEL

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nahadi Nahadi ◽  
Wiwi Siswaningsih ◽  
Sarah Fadilla
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
High Reliability ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions ◽  
Validity Indicators ◽  
Contextual Teaching ◽  
Distinguishing Features

The purpose of this study was to obtain class-based assessment instrument that can measure the critical thinking skills of students in learning chemistry using a model of contextual teaching and learning . The research method used is a research and development (R & D) with the design of the study one group pretest-posttest. The study was conducted on 34 students of class X at one of the public high schools in Bandung with the object of research in the form of assessment tools consisting of critical thinking skills test consisting of 15 multiple choice questions grounded, 3 pieces of essays, and 6 pieces of matter worksheets, observation sheet, guidance interviews, and questionnaires . The results showed that the multiple choice questions have reasoned highest validity deduce indicators and consider the results of deduction,� low reliability, level of difficulty between easy to difficult , and significant distinguishing features. Essay has the highest validity indicators ask and answer questions with high reliability, moderate difficulty level, and significant distinguishing features. Student Worksheet has the highest validity indicators ask and answer questions with very high reliability, level of difficulty between easy to moderate, and significant distinguishing instrument developed to measure students' critical thinking skills about the views of validity, with the highest validity of multiple choice questions grounded is number 4 and 13, the highest validity essay is number 1a and 1b, and the highest validity LKS numbers 1, 2, and 3. Contextual teaching and learning can be supportive in improving students' critical thinking skills that can be seen from curiousity stages through observation sheet.Keywords: class-based assessment; critical thinking skills; contextual.

scholarly journals Examination of Critical Thinking Skills of Preservice Science Teachers: A Perspective of Social Constructivist Theory

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Umit Demiral
Keyword(s):  
Preservice Teachers ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Grade Point Average ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Grade Level ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Preservice Science Teachers ◽  
Significant Difference

The purpose of this study is to examine the critical thinking skills of preservice science teachers in terms of various variables (gender, grade level, academic grade point average, participation in activities) and their opinions. In the research, sequential explanatory design, which is one of the mixed method research designs, was used. The study was carried out with 200 preservice teachers studying at Science Education Department of a state university chosen at Cappadocia region of Turkey. Interviews were conducted with low-level (f=7) and high-level (f=7) preservice teachers selected by means of purposive sampling method from these pre-service teachers participating in the study. Regarding the quantitative and qualitative data obtained; it has been determined that the critical thinking skills of the preservice teachers did not show any significant difference according to gender, grade level and academic grade point average, but there was a significant difference in terms of the activities performed. Preservice teachers expressed that their family structures, social environments in which they interact, and characteristic features were said to be effective in the development of critical thinking skills. Regarding the findings, it has been concluded that trainings that will evoke higher level skills such as critical thinking skills in universities can be effective, but the social and cultural background of the preservice teachers are also effective on these skills. It is recommended to prepare contents that enhance higher level skills such as critical thinking skills as well as education for pedagogy or content knowledge given at universities.

scholarly journals Pushing Critical Thinking Skills With Multiple-Choice Questions

2018 ◽  
Vol 93 (6) ◽  
pp. 856-859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikki L. Bibler Zaidi ◽  
Karri L. Grob ◽  
Seetha M. Monrad ◽  
Joshua B. Kurtz ◽  
Andrew Tai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Multiple Choice Questions

scholarly journals Identifikasi Kemampuan Berpikir Kritis Siswa dengan Menggunakan Five-Tier Multiple Choice pada Materi Hidrolisis Garam

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 74
Author(s):  
Pratiwi Hassan ◽  
Lukman Abdul Rauf Laliyo ◽  
Deasy Natalia Botutihe ◽  
Romario Abdullah
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Total Sample ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Choice Test ◽  
School Students ◽  
Quantitative Descriptive

This study aims to determine the critical thinking skills of high school students on salt hydrolysis. This research is quantitative descriptive. The population used in this study were all class XI IPA SMA in Gorontalo with a total sample of 64 respondents. Collecting data using a five-level multiple choice test instrument on salt hydrolysis material with an instrument validity value of 100%. The data analysis technique used in this research is descriptive quantitative. The results obtained the percentage of indicators of critical thinking skills, namely the focus criteria or Q1 level an average of 77.60%, the Reason criteria or Q2 level of 23.95%, the inference criteria or Q3 level of 8.85%, at Situation criteria or the Q4 level of 4.34% and the Clarity criteria or the Q5 level of 3.12%. Based on the results of the study it can be concluded that the ability of high school students to think critically on salt hydrolysis is 51.56% of students are in the very low category, 46.87% of students are in the low category and 1.56% of students are in the moderate category.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document