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Measuring Experimental Design Ability: A Test to Probe Critical Thinking

Sieberg, Jennifer Lynn
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1214238271

Abstract Details

2008, Master of Science (MS), Bowling Green State University, Biological Sciences.
Critical thinking is something of value for all. The educational system has been putting an emphasis on students' development of critical thinking skills. Critical thinking is a self-regulating, intellectual process of purposefully analyzing and evaluating all available information in order to formulate a well reasoned conclusion. Scientific thinking is critical thinking that involves the use of the scientific method, a method used to validate scientific knowledge, in order to study or investigate nature or the universe (Schafersman 1994). Science educators can facilitate the development of scientific thinking skills through scientific inquiry. What better way to experience scientific inquiry than through the design and implementation of experiments? "Developing the ability to design an experiment is critical to understanding of the scientific process and in promoting critical thinking skills. This skill can be developed if students are allowed to work like scientists"(Garcia, 1999). The purpose of this research is to design, implement and determine the effectiveness of our test for experimental design ability, a form of scientific thinking, in an introductory biology course, through the use of the Experimental Design Ability Test (EDAT). We chose to assess experimental design ability due to the scientific and critical thinking skills that are involved in the design process and because it is applicable to students' everyday lives. Our findings indicate that the EDAT is sensitive to improvements in experimental design ability, as students exposed to student-designed laboratories made significant gains in their experimental design abilities, whereas those who were not did not yield gains.
Karen Sirum, PhD (Advisor)
Daniel Pavuk, PhD (Committee Member)
Paul Morris, PhD (Committee Member)
72 p.
Biology; Education; Science Education
critical thinking; scientific thinking; experimental design ability

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Sieberg, J. L. (2008). Measuring Experimental Design Ability: A Test to Probe Critical Thinking [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1214238271

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Sieberg, Jennifer. Measuring Experimental Design Ability: A Test to Probe Critical Thinking. 2008. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1214238271.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Sieberg, Jennifer. "Measuring Experimental Design Ability: A Test to Probe Critical Thinking." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1214238271

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

bgsu1214238271
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© 2008, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.