Development of a Test of Scientific Argumentation

Autor/inn/en	Frey, Bruce B.; Ellis, James D.; Bulgreen, Janis A.; Hare, Jana Craig; Ault, Marilyn
Titel	Development of a Test of Scientific Argumentation
Quelle	In: Electronic Journal of Science Education, 19 (2015) 4, (18 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1087-3430
Schlagwörter	Test Construction; Science Tests; Persuasive Discourse; Science Process Skills; Secondary School Science; Test Items; Test Reliability; Test Validity; Item Analysis; Critical Thinking; Cognitive Tests; Thinking Skills; Middle School Students; Test Format; Multiple Choice Tests; Scoring; Student Evaluation; Cornell Critical Thinking Test + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Testaufbau; Persuasion; Persuasive Kommunikation; Test content; Testaufgabe; Testreliabilität; Testvalidität; Itemanalyse; Kritisches Denken; Kognitiver Fähigkeitstest; Denkfähigkeit; Middle school; Middle schools; Student; Students; Mittelschule; Mittelstufenschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Testentwicklung; Multiple choice examinations; Multiple-choice tests, Multiple-choice examinations; Multiple-Choice-Verfahren; Bewertung; Schulnote; Studentische Bewertung
Abstract	"Scientific argumentation," defined as the ability to develop and analyze scientific claims, support claims with evidence from investigations of the natural world, and explain and evaluate the reasoning that connects the evidence to the claim, is a critical component of current science standards and is consistent with "Common Core State Standards." Consequently, science teachers, researchers and program evaluators often include the process of scientific argumentation among their objectives for instruction and assessment. This paper describes the development of a valid, reliable and practical classroom measure of scientific argumentation. Based on Toulmin's (2003) theoretical framework of scientific argumentation, the 36-item test creates both a total score and subscores covering the ability to identify claims and "qualifiers" in a claim, the ability to distinguish among a "claim," "fact," "opinion," and "data," the ability to distinguish among "authority," "logic" and "theory" as possible reasons one accepts a claim, and the ability to identify "rebuttals" and "counter-arguments." Evidence for the measures validity and reliability is presented. Scores on the full "Test of Scientific Argumentation" were internally reliable (a = 0.82) and subscore reliability estimates ranged from 0.49 to 0.88. The total score and subscale scores correlated moderately with an existing critical thinking measure. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Southwestern University and Texas Christian University. TCU Box 297900, Fort Worth, TX 76129. Tel: 817-257-6115; e-mail: ejse@southwestern.edu; Web site: http://ejse.southwestern.edu
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01