ERIC Number: EJ1430520
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024-Jun
Pages: 27
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2364-1177
Exploring Children's Reasoning about Continuous Causal Processes through Visual Cues and Non-Verbal Assessment in Science Education: A Case Study of Chinese Primary School Children
Asia-Pacific Science Education, v10 n1 p86-112 2024
Causal reasoning is important to children's cognition and academic development. However, there have been few empirical studies on the impact of visual cues and non-verbal scaffolding on children's reasoning in continuous causal processes. Hence, the present study aims to explore how causal reasoning in continuous processes is facilitated by visual mind maps and multiple-choice questions through science experiments. By randomly selecting 136 children aged 9-13, the following results were obtained: Children provided with a mind map containing visual causal cues performed significantly better than the non-cue group on explanation tasks regardless of age differences, and children assessed using non-verbal multiple-choice questions scored significantly higher in explaining causal relationships than those using only verbal reports. This suggests that identification and explanation need to be differentiated for a more accurate evaluation of causal reasoning ability. These results have valuable implications for science curriculum and pedagogy at primary schools.
Descriptors: Cues, Visual Aids, Nonverbal Communication, Science Education, Thinking Skills, Cognitive Mapping, Multiple Choice Tests, Science Experiments, Children, Early Adolescents, Causal Models, Student Evaluation, Role Theory, Foreign Countries, Elementary School Students, Elementary School Science, Public Schools, Grade 4, Grade 6
BRILL. Plantijnstraat 2, 2321 JC Leiden, the Netherlands. e-mail: apse.journal@gmail.com; e-mail: support-programmanagement@brill.com; Web site: https://brill.com/view/journals/apse/apse-overview.xml
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education; Grade 4; Intermediate Grades; Grade 6; Middle Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: China
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A