Changing Science Outcomes: Cognitive Acceleration in a US Setting

Abstract

Inquiry is seen as an integral part of science education in the USA; however, few American science programs explicitly focus on the higher order thinking skills that are the precursors to inquiry. In this paper, Australian researchers report the result of using a version of the Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education (CASE) program in a school district in Oregon (USA) to address teacher-identified concerns about student competence in scientific inquiry. The substantial effect of CASE on British children's cognitive development and scholastic achievement has been demonstrated convincingly since its inception in the United Kingdom in 1981. The Oregon CASE project was not a mere replication of the original British CASE research: different instruments were employed, and both the measures of cognitive level and student achievement were Rasch-calibrated. The Oregon CASE teachers received comparatively less professional development than did their British counterparts. Neither did they deliver the entire intervention. The results of the study suggest that many of the benefits of CASE still apply when the intervention is conducted in a sub-optimal setting. Cognitive growth was apparent in participating students and high correlations were found between cognitive level and results in some state-mandated tests.

El impacto de un programa de enfoque socioconstructivista en las actitudes de futuros profesores de primaria sobre el aprendizaje y la enseñanza en general y sobre las matemáticas en particular

“…Several studies have explored the impact of Cognitive Acceleration PD programmes on teachers' pedagogy (Adey 2006, Endler and Bond 2008, Hodgen 2011, Hodgen, Johnson, and Adhami 2004, McGregor and Gunter 2001. Even though school variables like the ethos promoted by principals and other authorities are mediators of the effect of the PD programme on teachers, it was possible to observe changes in teachers'…”

Creativity in Science: Tensions between Perception and Practice

“…Surveys of student and community attitudes consistently identify rote learning and rigid, dogmatic thinking as characteristics/traits seen as essential for success in science (Barak & Shachar, 2008;Barton, Tan, & Rivet, 2008;Kessels et al, 2006;Latu & Young, 2004;Lunn & Noble, 2008;Timms, Courtney, & Anderson, 2006). Although many individuals recognise that science has delivered significant benefits to society in the form of medical, technological and industrial innovations (Barak & Shachar, 2008;Barton et al, 2008;Endler & Bond, 2008;Jackson, 2004;Kessels et al, 2006;Latu & Young, 2004;Lunn & Noble, 2008;Timms et al, 2006), they appear unable to appreciate the rich tapestry of creative thought required to synthesise knowledge across multiple domains and design and enact experimental studies capable of extending the limits of human knowledge (Barak & Shachar, 2008;Barrow, 2006;Barton et al, 2008;Endler & Bond, 2008;Jackson, 2004;Kessels et al, 2006;Latu & Young, 2004;Lunn & Noble, 2008;Timms et al, 2006).…”

“…Attempts to broaden perceptions of science and increase student interest are increasingly incorporating new approaches to teaching and learning (Barrow, 2006;Craft et al, 2008;Endler & Bond, 2008;Park-Rogers & Abell, 2008). While contextualised, inquiry-based learning undoubtedly cultivates important skills such as spatial reasoning and systematic thought (Benzvi-Assarf & Orion, 2005;Black, 2005), there is reason to believe that:…”

“…1) The wider potential of new teaching and learning strategies is diminished by emphasis on superficial engagement and a lack of attention to higher-order skills required for generation of creative solutions to scientific and technological problems (Craft et al, 2008;Endler & Bond, 2008;Erez, 2004) and;…”

“…Although creativity is a somewhat contested notion (Boden, 2001;Csikszentmihalyi, 1990;McWilliam et al, 2008), it occupies a unique place in the scientific arena as both a requirement for future innovation and progress (Barak & Shachar, 2008;Braben, 2004) and a personal characteristic/trait that can be developed and extended through quality education (Barak & Shachar, 2008;Braben, 2004;Endler & Bond, 2008;Holligan, 2005;Lunn & Noble, 2008;Yager & Akcay, 2008). To actualise the full potential of inquiry-based teaching and deliver viable, long-term solutions to problems arising from devaluation of science however, requires recognition that educational outcomes are the product of complex, dynamic, and often stochastic, interplay of sociocultural, psychological and cognitive factors.…”