New Approaches to Simulation-Based Science Instruction to Enhance Reasoning and Communication Skills in Lebanese Elementary Education

Layal Temsah,Nehme Safa

doi:10.47631/mejress.v2i1.180

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this research is to investigate the effect of a self-instruction intervention received by teachers on the reasoning and communication skills of sixth and fifth graders. It comprised training elementary science teachers to integrate the Five-E Inquiry-based-computer-simulations. Approach/Methodology/Design: A mixed-methods quasi-experimental design was employed in this study to investigate the effect of the intervention on students’ reasoning and communication skills from the results of tests, interviews, and observations. The sample included five private schools in the region of Beirut and Mount Lebanon. Participants included 434 students and 10science teachers. Qualitative data were collected from the interview replies of ten science teachers, and 22 pre-post observations. Quantitative data were collected from the pre-post-test results in reasoning and communication over a sample of 434 students from grades five and six. Findings: The integration of the Five-E Inquiry Model-Computer-Simulation-approach enhanced students’ reasoning skills particularly at the levels of “Analysis”, “Interpretation” and “Conclusion”. Post-test results indicated a significant improvement in students’ reasoning and communication skills. Teachers tackled written communication skills more through writing laboratory reports, and the post-test results for written communication showed significant improvement. Therefore, there was a statistically significant difference between post-test scores of the experimental schools and those of the control schools. Practical Implications: The study will contribute to the proper integration of computer simulations in an inquiry-based learning environment to enhance elementary students’ reasoning and communication skills in science. Originality/value: This study responded to students’ lack of reasoning and communication skills and teachers’ lack of technological pedagogical knowledge. The study provided instructional strategies for the proper integration of computer simulations based on the Five-E instructional model that enhanced students’ reasoning and communication skills.

Highlights

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2019, accompanied by the worldwide lockdown, ICT integration in education became inevitable
The results demonstrated that systematic exploration of computer simulations using the predict-observeexplain approach produced learning benefits while unsystematic exploration did not
The latter findings rang the bell for policymakers, curriculum developers, and teacher training institutes to realize the gap in adhering to Social Constructivism and technological pedagogical content Knowledge (TPACK) theories in teachers' practices for Cycle-two science, and to incorporate these two theories (Bybee et al, 2006; Nordin et al, 2013; Chai et al, 2010; Erdogan & Sahin, 2010)

Summary

Introduction

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2019, accompanied by the worldwide lockdown, ICT integration in education became inevitable. ICT literacy has emerged as a core and mandatory skill to be attained by learners from all grade levels internationally, added to teachers’ need for the effective integration of interactive technology to address the requirements of completing school curricula (Dong, Cao, & Li, 2020) In response to this pandemic and its consequences on the education sector, many reports and research studies in education have tackled the role of simulations as interactive learning environments in achieving the required learning that entails higher order thinking skills (Kriz, 2020). The question that raises itself is: Where does Lebanon stand regarding Five-E computer simulation-interventions which aim to improve elementary students’ reasoning and communication skills in science?

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion