Publication Date

1966

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

O'Connor, Henry (Professor of education)||Bauernfeind, Robert H.

Degree Name

M.S. (Master of Science)

Legacy Department

Department of Education

LCSH

Science--Study and teaching (Secondary)

Abstract

The problem This investigation atteapted to determine what differences of ability to perform on tests of critical thinking, scientific understanding, and traditional science achievement exist between students who have studied tinder the Secondary School Science Project and those who have not. Methodology and sample The experimental method was used by matching eighty-eight high school freshmen for IQ, sex, and present enrollment in a course of science study. The experimental group had studied under the SSSP the previous year; the matched control group had studied a more traditional course of science study. Seventy-two subjects were compared on the traditional science achievement tests, sixty on the test of scientific understanding, and fifty-eight on the test of critical thinking used in the study. The matching was treated by a simple analysis of variance, with the difference between the groups themselves due to variability in the population found not to be significant. Findings 1. On the test designed to measure critical thinking, the difference between the SSSP group and the matched control group was not found to be significant. 2. On the test designed to measure scientific understanding, differences favoring the SSSP group were not found to lie statistically significant. 3. The SSSP students were not handicapped in their ability to perform on a more traditional science achievement test. A significant difference favoring the SSSP group was found on a test of natural science background. 4. Mean scores of the experimental group were higher than those of the control on all tests used in the investigation.

Comments

Includes bibliographical references.

Extent

vii, 38 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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