'n Empiriese ondersoek na die mate waarin 16–jarige adolessente in staat is tot wetenskaplike denke

Abstract

• Aim of the research: Since many pupils fail in school because of (inter alia) inadequate capability to reason as scientifically as school demands of them, it was decided to conduct a descriptive survey in order to determine how many pupils are able to reason scientifically in an adequate manner, and also to determine in which respects they are unable to meet the demands of scientific (formal) reasoning. • Review of literature: In view of planning the descriptive survey an attempt was made to define the terms "science", “scientific reasoning” and "scientific method". It was concluded that reasoning which claims to be scientific makes use of various scientific methods. Of these methods 31 were briefly treated. A review of literature was also conducted in order to determine what school demands of its pupils in terms of scientific reasoning ability. Next, a review of the literature on the theoretical reasoning abilities of the 16 year old adolescent was performed. According to the authors consulted the 16 year old should be able to meet the demands of school as far as scientific reasoning is concerned. • The hypotheses: Three hypotheses were formulated, viz. - some 16 year old adolescents are not able to comply with a previously established criterion for satisfactory scientific reasoning ability; - those who are unable to meet the criterion are fewer than half of the total of the pupils; - a significant correlation exists between pupils' scores in tests on scientific reasoning and their scores in certain school subjects. • The survey: These hypotheses were tested by means the following descriptive survey programme: a battery of four tests on scientific reasoning ability was administered to the data-producing sample of 83 pupils selected on a random basis from four Afrikaans medium secondary schools in the Transvaal. • Findings: - All the hypotheses were accepted on statistical grounds. - Pupils failed to meet the previously established criterion for satisfactory scientific reasoning ability because they had not completely reached the cognitive stage known as the stage of formal-operational reasoning. - The reasoning of pupils fluctuate between the cognitive stages of concrete operations and formal operations. - Pupils seem to think more abstractly when encouraged to do so. • In conclusion, a few recommendations on the improvement of scientific reasoning ability were made, and some other Possible lines of research were indicated.