• Login
    View Item 
    •   WestCollections Home
    • School of Professional Studies
    • Department of Education & Educational Psychology
    • Education Dissertations
    • View Item
    •   WestCollections Home
    • School of Professional Studies
    • Department of Education & Educational Psychology
    • Education Dissertations
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    EFFECTS OF AN INQUIRY-BASED SCIENCE PROGRAM ON CRITICAL THINKING, SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS, CREATIVITY, AND SCIENCE FAIR ACHIEVEMENT OF MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    Longo_Dissertation_031012.pdf (5.311Mb)
    stamped.pdf (5.710Mb)
    Author
    Longo, Christopher
    Publication Date
    2012-05-01T00:00:00-07:00
    Degree Name
    Doctor of Education (EdD)
    Academic Department
    Education & Educational Psychology
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    <p>This study investigated the impact of an inquiry-based science program on the critical thinking skills, science process skills, creativity, and science fair achievement of middle school students. Although research indicates the connection between inquiry and achievement, there is limited empirical research relating specific inquiry-based programs to critical thinking, creativity, and science fair achievement in middle school classrooms.</p> <p>The research took place in a small, suburban middle school in the northeast from November 2010 to May 2011. A sample of convenience was comprised of seventh and eighth grade students. The study was quasi-experimental in nature, with a pretest-posttest comparison group design using intact classrooms of students. Five instruments were administered related to the elements of science process skills, critical thinking, creative thinking, and science fair achievement.</p> <p>The scores of those students in the inquiry-based science program were compared to those students in the traditional science classroom to determine the impact of each method of delivering instruction. In the multivariate analysis of variance, the inquiry instruction group scored significantly higher for science process skills as measured by the <em>Earthworm Test </em>(<em>p </em>< .001) and Cognitive Integrity, an area of critical thinking measured by the <em>CM3 </em>(<em>p </em>< .025).</p> <p>In multiple regression analysis, program type contributed significantly to the prediction of science fair achievement scores above and beyond the predictor variables of science process skills, critical thinking, and creativity (<em>p </em>< .001). Science fair scores were significantly higher (<em>p </em>< .001) for the treatment as compared to that of the direct instruction group. Overall, science process skills (<em>p </em>< .025) and program type (<em>p </em>< .001) contributed significantly to the prediction of science fair achievement.</p>
    URI
    https://westcollections.wcsu.edu/handle/20.500.12945/160
    Collections
    • Education Dissertations

    Browse

    All of WestCollectionsCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    DSpace software copyright © 2002-2023  DuraSpace
    Contact Us | Send Feedback
    DSpace Express is a service operated by 
    Atmire NV