MEASURING SCIENTIFIC REASONING OF FOURTH GRADERS: VALIDATION OF THE SCIENCE-K INVENTORY IN PAPER-BASED AND COMPUTER-BASED TESTING ENVIRONMENTS

TitleMEASURING SCIENTIFIC REASONING OF FOURTH GRADERS: VALIDATION OF THE SCIENCE-K INVENTORY IN PAPER-BASED AND COMPUTER-BASED TESTING ENVIRONMENTS
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2023
AuthorsNagy, MT, Korom, E
JournalJournal of Baltic Science Education
Volume22
Issue6
Start Page1050-1062
PaginationContinuous
Date PublishedDecember/2023
Type of ArticleOriginal article
ISSN1648-3898
Other NumbersE-ISSN 2538-7138
Keywordscomputer-based testing, paper-based testing, primary school, Science-K Inventory, scientific reasoning
Abstract

Nowadays, the assessment of student performance has become increasingly technology-based, a trend that can also be observed in the evaluation of scientific reasoning, with more and more of the formerly paper-based assessment tools moving into the digital space. The study aimed to examine the reliability and validity of the paper-based and computer-based forms of the Science-K Inventory, which assesses children's scientific reasoning in three aspects: experimentation, data interpretation, and understanding of the nature of science. The pilot study involved 84 fourth-grade Hungarian students, with 39 students taking the paper-based test and 45 students taking the computer-based test. Rasch measurements and reliability tests have indicated that both the paper-based and computer-based test versions are equally valid for assessing the scientific reasoning skills of fourth graders. Students achieved high test scores in both mediums, and there were no significant differences between boys' and girls' scientific reasoning in either test type. The novelty of this research was that the Science-K Inventory had not yet been tested in a computer-based format. The results demonstrate that the Science-K Inventory can be effectively utilized in digital testing to provide teachers with rapid and valuable information for fostering the development of their students' scientific reasoning.

URLhttps://oaji.net/articles/2023/987-1702729056.pdf
DOI10.33225/jbse/23.22.1050
Refereed DesignationRefereed
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