Research has consistently shown that inquiry-based learning can be more effective than other, more expository instructional approaches as long as students are supported adequately. But what type of guidance is adequate, and for whom? These questions are difficult to answer as most previous research has only focused on one type of guidance and one type of learner. This meta-analysis therefore synthesized the results of 72 studies to compare the effectiveness of different types of guidance for different age categories. Results showed facilitative overall effects of guidance on learning activities (d = 0.66, 95% CI [0.44, 0.88]), performance success (d = 0.71, 95% CI [0.52, 0.90]), and learning outcomes (d = 0.50, 95% CI [0.37, 0.62]). Type of guidance moderated the effects on performance success but not on the other two outcome measures. Considerable variation was found in the effects of guidance on learning activities, but the relatively low number of studies do not allow for any definitive conclusion on possible age-related differences.

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Meta-Analysis of Inquiry-Based Learning: Effects of Guidance

Scientific reasoning and scientific argumentation are highly valued outcomes of K-12 and higher education. In this article, we first review main topics and key findings of three different strands of research, namely research on the development of scientific reasoning, research on scientific argumentation, and research on approaches to support scientific reasoning and argumentation. Building on these findings, we outline current research deficits and address five aspects that exemplify where and how research on scientific reasoning and argumentation needs to be expanded. In particular, we suggest to ground future research in a conceptual framework with three epistemic modes (advancing theory building about natural and social phenomena, artefact-centred scientific reasoning, and science-based reasoning in practice) and eight epistemic activities (problem identification, questioning, hypothesis generation, construction and redesign of artefacts, evidence

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Scientific Reasoning and Argumentation: Advancing an Interdisciplinary Research Agenda in Education

This study aimed to determine the relations between fluid intelligence (Gf) and reading/mathematics and possible moderators. A meta-analysis of 680 studies involving 793 independent samples and more than 370,000 participants found that Gf was moderately related to reading, r = .38, 95% CI [.36, .39], and mathematics, r = .41, 95% CI [.39, 44]. Synthesis on the longitudinal correlations showed that Gf and reading/mathematics predicted each other in the development even after controlling for initial performance. Moderation analyses revealed the following findings: (a) Gf showed stronger relations to mathematics than to reading, (b) within reading or mathematics, Gf showed stronger relations to complex skills than to foundational skills, (c) the relations between Gf and reading/mathematics increased with age, and (d) family social economic status (SES) mostly affected the relations between Gf and reading/mathematics in the early development stage. These findings, taken together, are partially in line with the investment theory but are more in line with the intrinsic cognitive load theory, mutualism theory, and the gene-SES interaction hypothesis of cognition and learning. More importantly, these findings imply an integration model of these theories from an educational and developmental perspective: Children may rely on Gf to learn reading and mathematics early on, when high family SES can boost the effects of Gf on reading/mathematics performance. As children receive more formal schooling and gain more learning experiences, their reading and mathematics improvement may promote their Gf development. During development, the negative effects of low family SES on the relations between Gf and reading/mathematics may be offset by education/learning experiences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

A meta-analysis on the relation between fluid intelligence and reading/mathematics: Effects of tasks, age, and social economics status.

According to Klahr's (2000, 2005; Klahr & Dunbar, 1988) Scientific Discovery as Dual Search model, inquiry processes require three cognitive components: hypothesis generation, experimentation, and evidence evaluation. The aim of the present study was to investigate (a) when the ability to evaluate perfect covariation, imperfect covariation, and non-covariation evidence emerges, (b) when experimentation emerges, (c) when hypothesis generation skills emerge, and (d), whether these abilities develop synchronously during childhood. We administered three scientific reasoning tasks referring to the three components to 223 children of five age groups (from age 4.0 to 13.5 years). Our results show that the three cognitive components of domain-general scientific reasoning emerge asynchronously. The development of domain-general scientific reasoning begins with the ability to handle unambiguous data, progresses to the interpretation of ambiguous data, and leads to a flexible adaptation of hypotheses according to the sufficiency of evidence. When children understand the relation between the level of ambiguity of evidence and the level of confidence in hypotheses, the ability to differentiate conclusive from inconclusive experiments accompanies this development. Implications of these results for designing science education concepts for young children are briefly discussed.

Scientific Reasoning in Early and Middle Childhood: The Development of Domain-General Evidence Evaluation, Experimentation, and Hypothesis Generation Skills.

Construction play and cognitive skills associated with the development of mathematical abilities in 7-year-old children

Scientific reasoning in elementary school children: Assessment and relations with cognitive abilities

The development of scientific thinking was assessed in 1,581 second, third, and fourth graders (8-, 9-, 10-year-olds) based on a conceptual model that posits developmental progression from naive to more advanced conceptions. Using a 66-item scale, five components of scientific thinking were addressed, including experimental design, data interpretation, and understanding the nature of science. Unidimensional and multidimensional item response theory analyses supported the instrument's reliability and validity and suggested that the multiple components of scientific thinking form a unitary construct, independent of verbal or reasoning skills. A partial credit model gave evidence for a hierarchical developmental progression. Across each grade transition, advanced conceptions increased while naive conceptions decreased. Independent effects of intelligence, schooling, and parental education on scientific thinking are discussed.

The Development of Scientific Thinking in Elementary School: A Comprehensive Inventory

Zusammenfassung. Ausgehend von neueren Forschungsergebnissen, die auf Basiskompetenzen wissenschaftlichen Denkens schon im Grundschulalter hinweisen, stellen wir ein dreistufiges Entwicklungsmodell (natur)wissenschaftlicher Kompetenz vor, das einen Ubergang von naiven Vorstellungen uber teilweise adaquate Vorstellungen hin zu wissenschaftlich adaquaten Vorstellungen annimmt. In einer Studie an N=73 Zweit- und Viertklasslern untersuchten wir, ob die alterskorrelierten Veranderungen in drei Kernkomponenten des wissenschaftlichen Denkens (Theorieverstandnis, Experimentierstrategien und Dateninterpretation) mit diesem Entwicklungsmodell konsistent sind. Generell konnten signifikante Verbesserungen zwischen der zweiten und vierten Klasse festgestellt werden, die sich v.a. im Theorieverstandnis und in den Experimentierstrategien manifestierten. Der Grosteil der Zweitklassler konnte in mindestens zwei Bereichen dem Niveau der naiven Vorstellung und ein Grosteil der Viertklassler dem Niveau der Zwischenvorstellun...

Die Entwicklung des wissenschaftlichen Denkens im Grundschulalter

Science-P ist ein im Rahmen des DFG-Schwerpunktprogrammes Â„Kompetenzmodelle zur Erfassung individueller Lernergebnisse und zur Bilanzierung von BildungsprozessenÂ“ angesiedeltes Projekt mit dem Ziel der theoretischen Modellierung und psychometrischen Erfassung der naturwissenschaftlichen Kompetenzentwicklung von der zweiten bis vierten Klassenstufe. Dieser Beitrag thematisiert die theoretischen Grundlagen sowie die Entwicklung gruppentestfahiger Aufgaben in diesem Bereich. (DIPF/Orig.)

Die Modellierung naturwissenschaftlicher Kompetenz im Grundschulalter. Projekt Science-P

Um an einer von Naturwissenschaften und Technik gepragten und sich standig verandernden Gesellschaft teilhaben zu konnen, ist naturwissenschaftliche Grundbildung notwendig und bedeutsam (Prenzel, Rost, Senkbeil, Hausler & Klopp, 2001). Naturwissenschaftliche Grundbildung oder – im englischen Sprachraum – scientific literacy ist spatestens seit der Rezeption der Ergebnisse der internationalen Schulleistungsstudien wie PISA, TIMSS und IGLU-E in den Fokus der Bildungsdiskussion in Deutschland geruckt. Nicht nur im Sekundar- und Primarschulbereich, sondern auch im Bereich der Fruhpadagogik sind in den letzten Jahren Bildungsstandards fur die naturwissenschaftliche Grundbildung definiert worden (z.B. Bos et al; 2003, Gesellschaft fur die Didaktik des Sachunterrichts [GDSU], 2002; Bybee, 1997; Bayerischer Bildungs- und Erziehungsplan, 2006).

Daniela Mayer

Papers

Scientific reasoning in elementary school children: Assessment and relations with cognitive abilities

The Development of Scientific Thinking in Elementary School: A Comprehensive Inventory

Die Entwicklung des wissenschaftlichen Denkens im Grundschulalter

Die Modellierung naturwissenschaftlicher Kompetenz im Grundschulalter. Projekt Science-P

Entwicklung des wissenschaftlichen Denkens im Vor- und Grundschulalter