scholarly journals The Relation of Tests of Scientific Reasoning to Each Other and to Tests of General Intelligence

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Sternberg ◽  
Chak Haang Wong ◽  
Karin Sternberg
Keyword(s):  
Standardized Tests ◽  
Scientific Reasoning ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
General Intelligence ◽  
Psychological Science ◽  
Ability Tests ◽  
The One ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Scientific Reasoning Skills

We conducted two studies to replicate and extend, as well as test, the limits of previous findings regarding an apparent disconnect between scientific-reasoning skills in psychological science, on the one hand, and scores on standardized tests of general intelligence, on the other. In Study 1, we examined whether this disconnect would extend beyond psychological science to additional sciences as well, such as nutrition and agriculture. The results did indeed extend, suggesting that scientific reasoning across various natural sciences is comparable to scientific reasoning in psychological science, but different in kind from the reasoning required on conventional standardized tests. In Study 2, we examined whether these findings were linked to the format of presentation of scientific problems. Whereas real scientific-reasoning problems are open-ended, standardized tests tend to use multiple-choice format. We discovered that using multiple-choice format did indeed result in an apparently closer relation of the scientific-reasoning tests to two of the conventional ability measures (SAT Reading and Number Series) but not to two other tests (Letter Sets and SAT Math). Thus, one can increase the correlations of scientific-reasoning tests with at least some standardized ability tests but at the cost of content validity and ecological validity.

Scientific Reasoning in Higher Education

2015 ◽  
Vol 223 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Hartmann ◽  
Annette Upmeier zu Belzen ◽  
Dirk Krüger ◽  
Hans Anand Pant
Keyword(s):  
Science Teachers ◽  
Natural Science ◽  
Scientific Reasoning ◽  
Standardized Test ◽  
Multiple Choice ◽  
Natural Sciences ◽  
Preservice Science Teachers ◽  
Reasoning Skills ◽  
Scientific Reasoning Skills ◽  
Better Than

The aim of this study was to develop a standardized test addressed to measure preservice science teachers’ scientific reasoning skills, and to initially evaluate its psychometric properties. We constructed 123 multiple-choice items, using 259 students’ conceptions to generate highly attractive multiple-choice response options. In an item response theory-based validation study (N = 2,247), we applied multiple regression analyses to test hypotheses based on groups with known attributes. As predicted, graduate students performed better than undergraduate students, and students who studied two natural science disciplines performed better than students who studied only one natural science discipline. In contrast to our initial hypothesis, preservice science teachers performed less well than a control group of natural sciences students. Remarkably, an interaction effect of the degree program (bachelor vs. master) and the qualification (natural sciences student vs. preservice teacher) was found, suggesting that preservice science teachers’ learning opportunities to explicitly discuss and reflect on the inquiry process have a positive effect on the development of their scientific reasoning skills. We conclude that the evidence provides support for the criterion-based validity of our interpretation of the test scores as measures of scientific reasoning competencies.

scholarly journals FOSTERING STUDENT’S SCIENTIFIC REASONING THROUGH 5E MODEL OF INSTRUCTION ON TENTH GRADE STUDENT OF PHYSICS CLASS IN SMAN 15 SURABAYA

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 142
Author(s):  
Noly Shofiyah ◽  
Z. A. Imam Supardi ◽  
Budi Jatmiko
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Reasoning ◽  
Lesson Plan ◽  
Instructional Process ◽  
Reasoning Test ◽  
Tenth Grade ◽  
Post Test ◽  
The One ◽  
Scientific Reasoning Skills ◽  
Instructional Package ◽  
D Model

The aim of this study was to develop instructional package using 5E model of instruction to foster student’s scientific reasoning. The instructional package consisting of lesson plan, handout, student’s worksheet, and scientific reasoning test was developed by using the four-D model. Subject of research in this study was instructional package using 5E model of instruction which was tried out on tenth grade students of SMAN 15 Surabaya. The tryout was conducted by using the one-group pre-test post- test design. This study used three techniques for collecting data, namely observation, test, and questionnaire. The obtained data were processed with descriptive qualitative analysis. The findings revealed that the developed instructional package reflecting th e 5E model was valid to be implemented in classroom, the completion of the lesson plan was categorized excellent, and students were engaged actively in the instruction of the 5E model as shown by their dominant activities namely performing experiment and discussion. The other findings showed that the 5E model of instruction is effective to foster student’s scientific reasoning skills and students gave positive responses to the implementation of the developed instructional package. However, there were obstacles that teacher and students faced during instructional process. Regarding to the findings, then it can be concluded that the developed instructional package reflecting 5E model of instruction is effective to be implemented to foster student’s scientific reasoning.

scholarly journals Can Pre-Service Biology Teachers’ Professional Knowledge and Diagnostic Activities Be Fostered by Self-Directed Knowledge Acquisition via Texts?

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 244
Author(s):  
Maria Kramer ◽  
Christian Förtsch ◽  
Birgit J. Neuhaus
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Acquisition ◽  
Scientific Reasoning ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Instructional Quality ◽  
Professional Knowledge ◽  
Biology Teachers ◽  
Time Effects ◽  
Effect Of Treatment ◽  
Scientific Reasoning Skills ◽  
Design Paper

In a diagnostic context of reasoning about instructional quality, scientific reasoning skills can be described as diagnostic activities, which require professional knowledge. Different approaches to enhance pre-service teachers’ professional knowledge (PCK, CK, PK), as well as diagnostic activities exist. However, results about their effectiveness are still inconsistent. We systematically investigated the effectiveness of self-directed knowledge acquisition via texts on PCK, CK, PK, and diagnostic activities of 81 pre-service biology teachers following an experimental design. Paper-pencil tests, measuring PCK, CK, and PK, and the video-based assessment tool DiKoBi Assess, measuring diagnostic activities in the context of diagnosing instructional quality, were used pre and post an intervention. Intervention included four treatments on self-directed knowledge acquisition via texts on (1) PCK, (2) CK, (3) PK, (4) combination PCK/CK/PK. Treatment (5) served as control. Mixed ANOVAs showed large time effects for PCK and CK, but no interaction effect concerning knowledge facets between time and treatment for any of the treatments. Time effects might be due to pre-service teachers’ scientific reasoning on biology instruction that activated knowledge. An ANCOVA showed no significant effect of treatment on diagnostic activities either. We conclude that scientific reasoning about instructional quality is more effective for knowledge acquisition than text-work.

scholarly journals A Study on the Feasibility of Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Raw Cheese Whey with Coffee Pulp Residues

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3611
Author(s):  
Sandra Gonzalez-Piedra ◽  
Héctor Hernández-García ◽  
Juan M. Perez-Morales ◽  
Laura Acosta-Domínguez ◽  
Juan-Rodrigo Bastidas-Oyanedel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Methane Production ◽  
Kinetic Models ◽  
Cheese Whey ◽  
Maximum Yield ◽  
Gompertz Model ◽  
Coffee Pulp ◽  
The One ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Best Fit ◽  
Cheese Production

In this paper, a study on the feasibility of the treatment of raw cheese whey by anaerobic co-digestion using coffee pulp residues as a co-substrate is presented. It considers raw whey generated in artisanal cheese markers, which is generally not treated, thus causing environmental pollution problems. An experimental design was carried out evaluating the effect of pH and the substrate ratio on methane production at 35 °C (i.e., mesophilic conditions). The interaction of the parameters on the co-substrate degradation and the methane production was analyzed using a response surface analysis. Furthermore, two kinetic models were proposed (first order and modified Gompertz models) to determine the dynamic profiles of methane yield. The results show that co-digestion of the raw whey is favored at pH = 6, reaching a maximum yield of 71.54 mLCH4 gVSrem−1 (31.5% VS removed) for raw cheese whey and coffee pulp ratio of 1 gVSwhey gVSCoffe−1. The proposed kinetic models successfully fit the experimental methane production data, the Gompertz model being the one that showed the best fit. Then, the results show that anaerobic co-digestion can be used to reduce the environmental impact of raw whey. Likewise, the methane obtained can be integrated into the cheese production process, which could contribute to reducing the cost per energy consumption.

scholarly journals Revisiting the Role of Worries in Explaining the Link Between Test Anxiety and Test Performance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frieder L. Schillinger ◽  
Jochen A. Mosbacher ◽  
Clemens Brunner ◽  
Stephan E. Vogel ◽  
Roland H. Grabner
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Standardized Tests ◽  
Test Anxiety ◽  
Test Performance ◽  
Inverse Relationship ◽  
Curvilinear Relationship ◽  
General Intelligence ◽  
Mathematical Competencies ◽  
And Performance

AbstractThe inverse relationship between test anxiety and test performance is commonly explained by test-anxious students’ tendency to worry about a test and the consequences of failing. However, other cognitive facets of test anxiety have been identified that could account for this link, including interference by test-irrelevant thoughts and lack of confidence. In this study, we compare different facets of test anxiety in predicting test performance. Seven hundred thirty university students filled out the German Test Anxiety Inventory after completing a battery of standardized tests assessing general intelligence and mathematical competencies. Multiple regressions revealed that interference and lack of confidence but not worry or arousal explained unique variance in students’ test performance. No evidence was found for a curvilinear relationship between arousal and performance. The present results call for revisiting the role of worries in explaining the test anxiety-performance link and can help educators to identify students who are especially at risk of underperforming on tests.

scholarly journals Electoral Incentives and the Allocation of Public Funds

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederico Finan ◽  
Maurizio Mazzocco
Keyword(s):  
Electoral System ◽  
Policy Reforms ◽  
Public Funds ◽  
Term Limit ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Projects ◽  
Electoral Incentives ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The One ◽  
The Cost

Abstract Politicians allocate public resources in ways that maximize political gains, and potentially at the cost of lower welfare. In this paper, we quantify these welfare costs in the context of Brazil’s federal legislature, which grants its members a budget to fund public projects within their states. Using data from the state of Roraima, we estimate a model of politicians’ allocation decisions and find that 26.8% of the public funds allocated by legislators are distorted relative to a social planner’s allocation. We then use the model to simulate three potential policy reforms to the electoral system: the adoption of approval voting, imposing a one-term limit, and redistricting. We find that a one-term limit and redistricting are both effective at reducing distortions. The one-term limit policy, however, increases corruption, which makes it a welfare-reducing policy.

scholarly journals A MEAN FIELD GAME ANALYSIS OF SIR DYNAMICS WITH VACCINATION

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Josu Doncel ◽  
Nicolas Gast ◽  
Bruno Gaujal
Keyword(s):  
Mean Field ◽  
Vaccination Strategy ◽  
Game Analysis ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Mean Field Game ◽  
Vaccination Behavior ◽  
Switching Curve ◽  
The One ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Vaccination Period

We analyze a mean field game model of SIR dynamics (Susceptible, Infected, and Recovered) where players choose when to vaccinate. We show that this game admits a unique mean field equilibrium (MFE) that consists in vaccinating at a maximal rate until a given time and then not vaccinating. The vaccination strategy that minimizes the total cost has the same structure as the MFE. We prove that the vaccination period of the MFE is always smaller than the one minimizing the total cost. This implies that, to encourage optimal vaccination behavior, vaccination should always be subsidized. Finally, we provide numerical experiments to study the convergence of the equilibrium when the system is composed by a finite number of agents ( $N$ ) to the MFE. These experiments show that the convergence rate of the cost is $1/N$ and the convergence of the switching curve is monotone.

Hiding Data in Plain Sight: Towards Provably Unbreakable Encryption with Short Secret Keys and One-Way Functions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mircea-Adrian Digulescu
Keyword(s):  
Encryption Scheme ◽  
Secret Key ◽  
Small Probability ◽  
Random Data ◽  
Computing Power ◽  
Plain Text ◽  
Secret Keys ◽  
The One ◽  
One Way Function ◽  
The Cost

It has long been known that cryptographic schemes offering provably unbreakable security exist, namely the One Time Pad (OTP). The OTP, however, comes at the cost of a very long secret key - as long as the plain-text itself. In this paper we propose an encryption scheme which we (boldly) claim offers the same level of security as the OTP, while allowing for much shorter keys, of size polylogarithmic in the computing power available to the adversary. The Scheme requires a large sequence of truly random words, of length polynomial in the both plain-text size and the logarithm of the computing power the adversary has. We claim that it ensures such an attacker cannot discern the cipher output from random data, except with small probability. We also show how it can be adapted to allow for several plain-texts to be encrypted in the same cipher output, with almost independent keys. Also, we describe how it can be used in lieu of a One Way Function.

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