Put simply, you want to know how to tell if new teachers can think scientifically?

First find out if thinking scientifically differs from other ways of thinking.

"Framework to operate"? - let the new teachers catch your own enthusiasm to develop skills in OBSERVATION and QUESTION ASKING, MEASURING and RECORDING

Closing in – Opening out

Look closely and see

See deeply and ask

Ask wisely and know

Know quietly and look

Look carefully and see

See sharply and ask

Ask brightly and know

Know lightly and look

Look clearly and see

See shrewdly and ask

Ask openly and know

Know ... wonderingly

Hi Laurence. Thanks for the answer. I was specifically interested in a framework covering the salient aspects of science teacher preparation within a teacher education program.

I used a test for class 8 children during my Ph. D. and the test was developed and standardised by me. deatils, may be beneficial to you, are as under:

Science-Process Skills Test (SPT)

As no standardized test was available to suit to the population/ objectives of the present study, the researcher developed and validated the Science Process Test (SPT). The procedure adopted for development of SPT included - selection of processes, item writing, try-out, scoring and item analysis, and establishing reliability & Validity. These steps have been described below.

3.4.3.1 Selection of Processes

The present curriculum for science is an integrated curriculum which aims to emphasize science both as the process as well as the product. Fostering science process skills among the students is the foremost objective of teaching science at primary and secondary levels. There are a variety of process skills relating to science, some of which have been listed in Table 1.4 in Chapter-I. It is very difficult to produce an exhaustive list of science processes. However, some important process skills have been listed in table 3.5, given below.

Table3.5: Important Process Skills

S. No. Process-skill S. No. Process-skill S. No. Process-skill

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

Observing

Classifying

Using numbers

Measuring

Using space-time relationships

Communicating

Predicting

Inferring

Defining operationally

Formulating hypothesis

Interpreting data

Identifying variables 13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

Controlling variables

Experimenting

Analyzing

Mathematical reasoning

Designing investigation

Graphing

Using models

Comparing

Summarizing

Discriminating

Illustrating

Extrapolating

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36 Rearranging

Relating

Explaining

Estimating

Justifying

Assuming

Imagining

Inventing

Discovering

Generalizing

Judging

Quantifying

Tannenbaum (1971), after studying a number of research reports, science texts, and relevant literature, prepared a detailed list of “the science processes used in various programmes all over the world”. After carefully reorganizing and condensing the list in view of the major statements of the psychology of science learning and of the philosophy of science and science education, he found the following eight processes most appropriate for the VIIth, VIIIth and IXth graders of U.S. schools - Observation, Comparing, Classifying, Quantifying, Measuring, Experimenting, Inferring, and Predicting.

Keeping in view the “Integrated Process Skills Test” by Okey and Dillashaw (1979), “Integrated Process Skills Test II” by Okey, Wise, and Burns (1982), and “Integrated Process Skills Test” by Pandey and Bhattacharya (1986), following five process skills were selected for SPT: -

(i) Comparing

(ii) Identifying Variables

(iii) Identifying and Stating Hypothesis

(iv) Designing Investigation

(v) Graphing and Interpretation

3.4.3.2 Item – Writing

Keeping in view the sample, schools, and medium of instruction chosen for the study, the language of the test (SPT) was decided to be Hindi. Only multiple-choice items (having four options) were selected for the test. Initially, a total of 52 items were written for the test. The researcher consulted 8 teachers, teaching science to class VIIIth students in different schools/ colleges, and 6 senior faculty members along with 3 other colleagues (in the Department of Education, MJP Rohilkhand University, Bareilly), who had a say in the matters of measurement and evaluation, for their comments, critique and suggestions on these 52 items. On the basis of the discussions, 7 items were dropped and a few items were modified. The remaining 45 items were retained for the try-out. The number of items measuring different process skills in this form/test has been shown in table 3.6.

Table 3.6: Distribution of items to processes in try-out form of SPT

S. No. Process Skill Number of items

1

2

3

4

5

Comparing

Identifying Variables

Identifying & Stating Hypothesis

Designing Investigation

Graphing & Interpretation

10

13

09

05

08

The language of the items was also given due importance. It was kept simplest possible so that no one fails to answer an item due to inability to understand the language. Further, the test was given to 30 students of class VII, randomly selected from a class, and they were asked to pinpoint linguistic difficulties faced by them in understanding different items. Their suggestions and reactions helped the investigator in rewriting and modifying some of the items.

3.4.3.3 Try-Out

The initial form of SPT, having 45 items was administered on a sample of 400 class VIIIth students. The time allotted to the test was 1 hour. The students were given printed test, which included instructions/ directions for responding. The students were instructed orally as well regarding responding to the test. The use of unfair means was checked with the help of their teachers.

Thanks a lot Dr. Singh. I will try to digest these things then I will try to see if I can also develop my own instrument to suit the graduating pre-service science education teachers as my prospective respondents.

I agree with Dr. Yash Pal Singh