ERIC Number: EJ734526
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-May
Pages: 10
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0263-5143
EISSN: N/A
Students' Achievement in Relation to Reasoning Ability, Prior Knowledge and Gender
Yenilmez, Ayse; Sungur, Semra; Tekkaya, Ceren
Research in Science & Technological Education, v24 n1 p129-138 May 2006
This study investigated students' achievement regarding photosynthesis and respiration in plants in relation to reasoning ability, prior knowledge and gender. A total of 117 eighth-grade students participated in the study. Test of logical thinking and the two-tier multiple choice tests were administered to determine students' reasoning ability and achievement, respectively. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted to assess the effect of reasoning ability on students' achievement. The independent variable was the reasoning ability (low, medium, high), the dependent variable was the scores on the two-tier test. Students' grades in science in previous year were used as a covariate. Analysis revealed a statistically significant mean difference between students at high and low formal levels with respect to achievement. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that reasoning ability, prior knowledge and gender were significant predictors of students' achievement in photosynthesis and respiration in plants, explaining 42% of the variance. (Contains 3 tables and 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Prior Learning, Statistical Analysis, Logical Thinking, Predictor Variables, Multiple Regression Analysis, Multiple Choice Tests, Botany, Academic Achievement, Thinking Skills, Sex, Plants (Botany), Grade 8, Gender Differences, Grades (Scholastic), Case Studies
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Grade 8
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A