Scientific Critical Thinking Research Articles

All Aboard! The Polar Express Is Traveling to Science—Understanding the States of Matter while Differentiating Instruction for Young Learners

ABSTRACTThis standards-based science lesson introduces young learners to scientific inquiry and critical thinking by using activities to demonstrate three phases of matter (solid, liquid, and gas). By learning about the states of matter through a 5E instructional approach, students are encouraged to observe changes in the states of matter and to discuss their understanding in both small and large group forums. Student participants will be involved in hands-on activities along with small and large group discourse while actively learning about the states of matter and enjoying a hot chocolate demonstration with sampling. Developmentally appropriate instructional approaches are emphasized throughout this lesson.

Fostering Scientific Literacy and Critical Thinking in Elementary Science Education

Scientific literacy (SL) and critical thinking (CT) are key components of science education aiming to prepare students to think and to function as responsible citizens in a world increasingly affected by science and technology (S&T). Therefore, students should be given opportunities in their science classes to be engaged in learning experiences that promote SL and CT, which may trigger the need to build and develop knowledge, attitudes/values, thinking abilities, and standards/criteria in an integrated way, resulting in their ability to know how to take responsible action in contexts and situations of personal and social relevance. This paper reports on a study to design, implement, and assess science learning experiences focused on CT toward SL goal. Results support the conclusion that the learning experiences developed and implemented in a grade 6 science classroom had a significant influence on the students’ CT and SL. Within this elementary school context, the theoretical framework used appears to be a relevant and practical aid for developing learning experiences that promote CT/SL and in supporting teaching practices that are more in line with the goals of critical scientific literacy.

Some unnecessary or inadequate common practices in regulated LC-MS bioanalysis.

The global bioanalytical community increasingly craves scientifically sound practices and guidance where the rationale is given for each requirement. To this end, it is critical to first evaluate all the existing practices and requirements based on scientific findings and critical thinking. Here we are challenging several important common practices in regulated LC-MS bioanalysis, from the requirement of at least six different calibration concentrations, no extrapolation, use of blank and zero standard in each batch, selection of quality controls, to the way matrix effect and dilution integrity are being validated. Both the reasons why these common practices are unnecessary or inadequate and the potential solutions are presented.

What Works? How Does One Know? Show Me the Data

We discuss how to think about qualitative and quantitative approaches to research in general and the value of home health research in particular. We describe several lesser known research or pernicious biases and the challenge of reasoned interpretations of data from research studies. We advocate policies that allow individuals to receive home-based care grounded in strong, objective scientific evidence and support critical thinking about implementation of care.

Techniques for Capturing Critical Thinking in the Creation and Composition of Advanced Mathematical Knowledge

Abstract It is widely accepted that mathematicians’ working practices are difficult to study directly. This paper proposes four techniques for capturing mathematicians’ critical thinking whilst creating or writing up advanced mathematics: plan writing, concept mapping, activity transcripts, and annotated drafts and transcripts. The role of critical thinking in science and mathematics is explored. The use of traditional data capturing techniques in the context of advanced mathematics is critiqued. The relationship between mathematical creativity and the writing process is examined. The proposed techniques are presented through examples from the author’s doctoral mathematics research. The utility of the proposed techniques is evaluated, with activity transcripts particularly promoted. Finally, the social context of these techniques is discussed with reference to the development of a mathematical process writing corpus. 1. Introduction 1.1 Research into advanced mathematical behaviour Advanced mathematical thinking (Tall, 1991) and tertiary level mathematics education research (Selden & Selden, 2002) have only recently become established research fields. Research into the working practices of mathematicians is still rare. In a recent article the author observed that: Unlike most other subjects, mathematical activity resides almost entirely within the cognitive processes of a mathematics practitioner and is therefore difficult to characterise. Despite recent interest, the nature of advanced mathematical activity remains something of a

Basic characteristics of the development of Serbian philosophical periodicals

This work discusses the creation, development, and key characteristics of philosophical periodicals in Serbia, as one of the most important institutional pillars for the development of a philosophical culture. The author shows that Serbian philosophical periodicals played a significant role in the development and dissemination, not only of its primary goal, philosophical culture, but also in building general standards of criticism, necessary for critical thinking in science and our society. At the end of the account, the author emphasizes that Serbian philosophical periodicals, in over a century of development, have managed to establish a broad philosophical communication with various traditions, directions and streams of philosophical thought. However, due to strong ideological breaks in history, it was not able of maintaining the continuity necessary for establishing clear and strong scientific criteria in assessing philosophical output and other philosophical activity in our milieu.

Laboratorio móvil tecno educativo: cursos de robótica de bajo costo para la alfabetización científica y tecnológica

La robótica educativa es un área multidisciplinaria de la ingeniería la cual a sido un elemento invaluable para fomentar la ciencia y la tecnología como algo divertido. Sin embargo los altos costos de su implementación como la dificultad de entrenamiento para los instructores la han hecho cada vez más común únicamente en países de primer mundo donde se cuenta con más presupuesto para su difusión. Es por eso que nace el concepto del Laboratorio Móvil Tecno Educativo, el cual tiene como fundamento la aplicación de cursos de robótica basados en la filosofía BEAM, a su vez incorpora prácticas de ciencias y prácticas cognitivas. El objetivo del proyecto es el de crear un nuevo concepto de aprendizaje robótico democrático a través del diseño y desarrollo de una plataforma tecno-educativa para niños y jóvenes con la finalidad de fomentar la alfabetización científica y tecnológica para el desarrollo de conocimiento y pensamiento analítico y científico. La evaluación de los cursos muestran una mejora del 36% respecto al conocimiento de ciencias y matemáticas, lo que demuestra la necesidad de incorporar un curso de robótica dado a un nivel general público.

O ensino a distância e os avanços para a pesquisa em enfermagem

O ensino a distância e os avanços para a pesquisa em enfermagem

University Students Explaining Adiabatic Compression of an Ideal Gas—A New Phenomenon in Introductory Thermal Physics

This study focuses on second-year university students’ explanations and reasoning related to adiabatic compression of an ideal gas. The phenomenon was new to the students, but it was one which they should have been capable of explaining using their previous upper secondary school knowledge. The students’ explanations and reasoning were investigated with the aid of paper and pencil tests (n = 86) and semi-structured interviews (n = 5) at the start of a thermal physics course at the University of Eastern Finland. The paper and pencil test revealed that the students had difficulties in applying content taught during earlier education in a new context: only a few of them were able to produce a correct explanation for the phenomenon. A majority of the students used either explanations with invalid but physically correct models, such as the ideal gas law or a microscopic model, or erroneous dependencies between quantities. The results also indicated that students had problems in seeing deficiencies or inconsistencies in their reasoning, in both test and interview situations. We suggest in our conclusion that the contents of upper secondary school thermal physics courses should be carefully examined to locate the best emphases for different laws, principles, concepts, and models. In particular, the limitations of models should be made explicit in teaching and students should be guided towards critical scientific thinking, including metaconceptual awareness.

Duke/UNC to helm the JCI in March 2012

Duke/UNC to helm the JCI in March 2012

A Chemistry Concept Reasoning Test

A Chemistry Concept Reasoning Test was created and validated providing an easy-to-use tool for measuring conceptual understanding and critical scientific thinking of general chemistry models and theories. The test is designed to measure concept understanding comparable to that found in free-response questions requiring explanations over calculations. The development of the test focused on the design of new multiple-choice questions to challenge and determine students' understanding by providing various types of questions that require visualization, logical reasoning, and particulate explanations. Validation was achieved in several ways. The primary validation of the Chemistry Concept Reasoning Test was done in a General Chemistry course through correlation with students’ scores on a free-response final exam and total scores in the overall course. High Pearson product moment correlation coefficients for each version of the test and relationship provide criterion-related convergent validity.

Training Practitioners to Evaluate Evidence About Interventions

Most graduate programs in applied behavior analysis expose students to coursework in the scientific principles of behavior analysis and basic behavior analytic research methods (i.e., some aspects of direct observation and measurement of behavior and single-case research designs). Many encourage or require students to design and conduct research. It appears that few programs, however, imbue students with fundamental “attitudes of science” and critical thinking skills, which leaves many graduates ill-equipped to evaluate the quality of the evidence supporting interventions. That is especially problematic for those who go on to work in autism spectrum disorders, where they are likely to be bombarded with claims about various and sundry interventions throughout their careers. To address that deficiency, it is proposed that university training curricula and Behavior Analyst Certification Board requirements be expanded to explicitly include competencies in basic scientific reasoning and critical thinking, with multiple opportunities to practice applying those competencies with guidance from a skilled behavior analyst.

Science literacy and natural history museums

It appears that developed countries, such as the US, the UK and Italy, are losing the race against irrationalism and arbitrary thinking in regard to nature and human interactions. The incidence of misguided beliefs and the detachment from and, in some cases, outright hostility toward science are on the rise. Paradoxically, this is probably the period in the history of advanced countries in which increasing public and personal efforts have been directed toward the dissemination of scientific knowledge to increase public understanding of science. This article vindicates the role of natural history museums in consolidating rational and critical scientific thinking while briefly examining scientific illiteracy in developed countries. It also discusses methods to improve the involvement of natural history museums in the promotion of rational thinking, the only appropriate avenue for objective knowledge.

Current challenges for dental education in Japan and the United States

Summary The education systems for dentists in Japan and in the United States face several current and future challenges. While there is an increasing demand for new dentists in the United States to this relatively financially rewarding health profession, there is a critical shortage of recent graduating dentists entering full-time academic and research positions at US dental schools. In Japan, while there are more extensive training programs to insure new future researchers and academicians, there is a perceived oversupply of dentists and an attempt to reduce the numbers of new dentists, which in turn discourages entry into dental education programs. Meeting these different challenges in both countries requires developing and reforming dental school curriculums that should be both scientifically and clinically up to date, that will stimulate critical scientific thinking and active life-long learning, and that will encourage students to pursue academic and research careers. In this review, both the common and different strategies developed by dental schools in Japan and the United States to encourage students to apply to dental schools and to pursue academic and research careers are presented, with emphasis on the reform efforts at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU).

Children’s and Adults’ Evaluation of Their Own Inductive Inferences, Deductive Inferences, and Guesses

Adults’ and kindergarten through fourth-grade children’s evaluations and explanations of inductive inferences, deductive inferences, and guesses were assessed. Beginning in kindergarten, participants rated deductions as more certain than weak inductions or guesses. Beginning in third grade, deductions were rated as more certain than strong inductions. Adults and fourth-grade children differentiated strong inductions, weak inductions, and informed guesses from pure guesses. Adults’ and fourth-grade children’s evaluations of inferences were influenced by the sample of evidence provided and by population base-rate information. By third grade, participants also gave different types of explanations for their deductions and inductions. These results are discussed in relation to children’s concepts of cognitive processes, logical reasoning, and epistemological development. Learning to recognize and evaluate different patterns of reasoning is important for the development of social understanding, logical and scientific reasoning, critical thinking, and epistemological thought. Realizing that another person has made an inference can help children to assess the other person’s knowledge and beliefs, explain the other person’s actions, and respond appropriately during social interactions. Awareness of inferential processes also contributes to the development of children’s own reasoning and children’s evaluation of arguments. Explicit awareness of logic may facilitate sophisticated levels of reasoning (Moshman, 1990). Scientific

Academies Active in Education

Sustainable socioeconomic and cultural development requires nations with a citizenry that understands science, shares its values, and uses scientific critical thinking. This can best be attained through science education that is based on inquiry, an approach that reproduces in the classroom the learning process of scientists: formulating questions, doing experiments, collecting and comparing data, reaching conclusions, and extrapolating these findings to more general situations. The Program for International Student Assessment, an international organization of industrialized nations, measures the extent to which 15-year-olds can identify scientific issues, explain phenomena scientifically, and use scientific evidence to draw conclusions. The results, made public earlier this year ( ), reveal that all developing countries and many industrial ones, including the United States, are failing to prepare their children adequately for life in the modern world. Leading scientists of each nation, acting through their national science academies, are working together to change this state of affairs.

Teaching evolution (and all of biology) more effectively: Strategies for engagement, critical reasoning, and confronting misconceptions

The strength of the evidence supporting evolution has increased markedly since the discovery of DNA but, paradoxically, public resistance to accepting evolution seems to have become stronger. A key dilemma is that science faculty have often continued to teach evolution ineffectively, even as the evidence that traditional ways of teaching are inferior has become stronger and stronger. Three pedagogical strategies that together can make a large difference in students' understanding and acceptance of evolution are extensive use of interactive engagement, a focus on critical thinking in science (especially on comparisons and explicit criteria) and using both of these in helping the students actively compare their initial conceptions (and publicly popular misconceptions) with more fully scientific conceptions. The conclusion that students' misconceptions must be dealt with systematically can be difficult for faculty who are teaching evolution since much of the students' resistance is framed in religious terms and one might be reluctant to address religious ideas in class. Applications to teaching evolution are illustrated with examples that address criteria and critical thinking, standard geology versus flood geology, evolutionary developmental biology versus organs of extreme perfection, and the importance of using humans as a central example. It is also helpful to bridge the false dichotomy, seen by many students, between atheistic evolution versus religious creationism. These applications are developed in detail and are intended to be sufficient to allow others to use these approaches in their teaching. Students and other faculty were quite supportive of these approaches as implemented in my classes.

Concerns regarding a call for pluralism of information theory and hypothesis testing

Summary Stephens et al. (2005) argue for ‘pluralism’ in statistical analysis, combining null hypothesis testing and information‐theoretic (I‐T) methods. We show that I‐T methods are more informative even in single variable problems and we provide an ecological example. I‐T methods allow inferences to be made from multiple models simultaneously. We believe multimodel inference is the future of data analysis, which cannot be achieved with null hypothesis‐testing approaches. We argue for a stronger emphasis on critical thinking in science in general and less reliance on exploratory data analysis and data dredging. Deriving alternative hypotheses is central to science; deriving a single interesting science hypothesis and then comparing it to a default null hypothesis (e.g. ‘no difference’) is not an efficient strategy for gaining knowledge. We think this single‐hypothesis strategy has been relied upon too often in the past. We clarify misconceptions presented by Stephens et al. (2005). We think inference should be made about models, directly linked to scientific hypotheses, and their parameters conditioned on data, Prob(Hj | data). I‐T methods provide a basis for this inference. Null hypothesis testing merely provides a probability statement about the data conditioned on a null model, Prob(data | H0). Synthesis and applications. I‐T methods provide a more informative approach to inference. I‐T methods provide a direct measure of evidence for or against hypotheses and a means to consider simultaneously multiple hypotheses as a basis for rigorous inference. Progress in our science can be accelerated if modern methods can be used intelligently; this includes various I‐T and Bayesian methods.

Integrating Scientific Method & Critical Thinking in Classroom Debates on Environmental Issues

Research Article| January 01 2004 Integrating Scientific Method & Critical Thinking in Classroom Debates on Environmental Issues Gilbert Proulx Gilbert Proulx Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar The American Biology Teacher (2004) 66 (1): 26–33. https://doi.org/10.2307/4451613 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Gilbert Proulx; Integrating Scientific Method & Critical Thinking in Classroom Debates on Environmental Issues. The American Biology Teacher 1 January 2004; 66 (1): 26–33. doi: https://doi.org/10.2307/4451613 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentThe American Biology Teacher Search This content is only available via PDF. Copyright National Association of Biology Teachers Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Empirical Perspectives on the Psychoanalytic Unconscious • Empirical Studies of the Therapeutic Hour

Empirical Perspectives on the Psychoanalytic Unconscious • Empirical Studies of the Therapeutic Hour