Application of the Test of Scientific Literacy Skills in the Assessment of a General Education Natural Science Program

2014 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Turner Waldo
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Science Program

scholarly journals Developing a Test of Scientific Literacy Skills (TOSLS): Measuring Undergraduates’ Evaluation of Scientific Information and Arguments

2012 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 364-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cara Gormally ◽  
Peggy Brickman ◽  
Mary Lutz
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
National Research Council ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Curricular Reform ◽  
Undergraduate Biology ◽  
Student Demographics ◽  
Information Measures ◽  
Undergraduate Institutions

Life sciences faculty agree that developing scientific literacy is an integral part of undergraduate education and report that they teach these skills. However, few measures of scientific literacy are available to assess students’ proficiency in using scientific literacy skills to solve scenarios in and beyond the undergraduate biology classroom. In this paper, we describe the development, validation, and testing of the Test of Scientific Literacy Skills (TOSLS) in five general education biology classes at three undergraduate institutions. The test measures skills related to major aspects of scientific literacy: recognizing and analyzing the use of methods of inquiry that lead to scientific knowledge and the ability to organize, analyze, and interpret quantitative data and scientific information. Measures of validity included correspondence between items and scientific literacy goals of the National Research Council and Project 2061, findings from a survey of biology faculty, expert biology educator reviews, student interviews, and statistical analyses. Classroom testing contexts varied both in terms of student demographics and pedagogical approaches. We propose that biology instructors can use the TOSLS to evaluate their students’ proficiencies in using scientific literacy skills and to document the impacts of curricular reform on students’ scientific literacy.

Media-Savvy Scientific Literacy: Developing Critical Evaluation Skills by Investigating Scientific Claims

2012 ◽  
Vol 74 (6) ◽  
pp. 374-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peggy Brickman ◽  
Cara Gormally ◽  
Greg Francom ◽  
Sarah E. Jardeleza ◽  
Virginia G.W. Schutte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Applied Learning ◽  
Education College ◽  
Scientific Claims

Students must learn content knowledge and develop scientific literacy skills to evaluate and use scientific information in real-world situations. Recognizing the accessibility of scientific information to the average citizen, we developed an instructional approach to help students learn how to judge the quality of claims. We describe a project-based applied learning (PAL) approach that utilizes engaging questions about biological issues relevant to students. Working through these projects, students are challenged to evaluate sources of information and communicate their understanding of scientific claims. We discuss challenges that students encounter and offer suggestions for enacting this approach in a general-education college classroom.

scholarly journals Enhancing student scientific literacy through participation in citizen science focused on companion animal behavior

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
A M Oberbauer ◽  
E Lai ◽  
N A Kinsey ◽  
T R Famula
Keyword(s):  
General Education ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Student Interest ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Self Perception ◽  
Animal Science ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
South Axis

Abstract The Covid-19 pandemic served as the impetus to implement activities designed to engage students in the remote instructional environment while simultaneously developing scientific literacy skills. In a high enrollment general education animal science course, numerous activities were designed to improve scientific literacy. These included specifically developed videos covering strategies for reading published science literature, the utilization of topically relevant scientific articles that captured student interest, and engaging students in a citizen science exercise on whether dogs align themselves to the Earth’s magnetic field during excretion behavior. Employing pre- and post- self-perception surveys coupled with tasking students to apply their scientific literacy skills in an assessment scenario demonstrated that students’ self-perception of their scientific literacy improved 30% (p < 0.05) with approximately 80% of students accurately applying their literacy skills. The citizen science study on excretory behavior was modeled on previously published findings thereby providing an opportunity to validate the published work which had indicated that dogs align their bodies in a North-South axis during excretion. The present study did not demonstrate preferential alignment to any geomagnetic orientation which emphasized to the students the need for scientific replication. Inclusion of simple activities that were relevant to students’ daily lives, and providing interpretive context for those activities, resulted in improved self-perceived scientific literacy.

scholarly journals Student performance on the Test of Scientific Literacy Skills (TOSLS) does not change with assignment of a low-stakes grade

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Verónica A. Segarra ◽  
Nicole M. Hughes ◽  
Kristin M. Ackerman ◽  
Michael H. Grider ◽  
Todd Lyda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Literacy Skills

scholarly journals Promoting male and female students’ scientific literacy skills through RICOSRE learning model

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susriyati Mahanal ◽  
Siti Zubaidah ◽  
Windy Rosyadah Mukti ◽  
Maya Agustin ◽  
Deny Setiawan
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Learning Model ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Male And Female

Determination of Gender Differential Item Functioning in Tegal Students' Scientific Literacy Skills with Integrated Science (SLiSIS) Test Using Rasch Model

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 270-281
Author(s):  
P. Susongko ◽  
Y. Arfiani ◽  
M. Kusuma
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Construct Validity ◽  
Differential Item Functioning ◽  
Rasch Model ◽  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Wald Test ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
School Students ◽  
Integrated Science ◽  
Item Functioning

The emergence of Differential Item Functioning (DIF) indicates an external bias in an item. This study aims to identify items at scientific literacy skills with integrated science (SLiSIS) test that experience DIF based on gender. Moreover, it is analyzed the emergence of DIF, especially related to the test construct measured, and concluded on how far the validity of the SLiSIS test from the construct validity of consequential type. The study was conducted with a quantitative approach by using a survey or non-experimental methods. The samples of this study were the responses of the SLiSIS test taken from 310 eleventh-grade high school students in the science program from SMA 2 and SMA 3 Tegal. The DIF analysis technique used Wald Test with the Rasch model. From the findings, eight items contained DIF in a 95 % level of trust. In 99 % level of trust, three items contained DIF, items 1, 6, and 38 or 7%. The DIF is caused by differences in test-takers ability following the measured construct, so it is not a test bias. Thus, the emergence of DIF on SLiSIS test items does not threaten the construct validity of the consequential type.

Possible reasons for low scientific literacy of Slovak students in some natural science subjects

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 226-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Bellová ◽  
Danica Melicherčíková ◽  
Peter Tomčík
Keyword(s):  
Natural Science ◽  
Scientific Literacy

scholarly journals The Development of Discovery Learning-based Module to Improve Students’ Scientific Literacy

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-89
Author(s):  
Indah Slamet Budiarti ◽  
◽  
Triwiyono Triwiyono ◽  
Florentina Maria Panda ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Literacy Skills ◽  
Discovery Learning ◽  
Student Responses ◽  
Device Development ◽  
Newton's Law ◽  
Newton’S Law ◽  
Product Assessment ◽  
D Model ◽  
Model Device

In learning science, it is necessary to have a learning model that can integrate scientific literacy skills. This study aimed to develop discovery learning-based module to improve students’ scientific literacy. We used R & D research that adapts the 4-D model device development procedure, namely define, design, develop, and disseminate. Product assessment was carried out after revision stage I by 3 media experts, 3 material experts, and 1 SMA YPPK Taruna Bakti teacher. To determine student responses, the product was tested for feasibility and readability on 5 X grade students of SMA YPPK Taruna Bakti through a limited trial. The product was revised and tested again through a broad trial on 16 students. The revision through experts’ comments and students’ initial responses has affected the readability, feasibility, and usability of developed Newton’s Law module. There were no students who have high scientific literacy. Students who have low scientific literacy were 13 and students who have moderate scientific literacy were 3. It can be said that the module cannot significantly improve students’ scientific literacy because of online learning environment. Keywords: Discovery learning, Modul, Newton’s Law, Scientific literacy

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