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Inquiry, engagement, and literacy in science: a retrospective, cross-national analysis of PISA 2006

McConney, Andrew; Oliver, Mary C.; Woods-McConney, Amanda; Schibeci, Renato; Maor, Dorit

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Authors

Andrew McConney

MARY OLIVER Mary.Oliver@nottingham.ac.uk
Professor of Science Education

Amanda Woods-McConney

Renato Schibeci

Dorit Maor



Abstract

In this study, we examine patterns of students’ literacy and engagement in science associated with different levels of ‘inquiry-oriented’ learning reported by students in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. To achieve this we analysed data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) 2006 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) which had science as its focus. Consistently, our findings show that science students who report experiencing low levels of inquiry-oriented learning activities are found to have above average levels of science literacy, but below average levels of interest in science, and below average levels on six variables that reflect students’ engagement in science. Our findings show that the corollary is also true. Across the three countries, students who report high levels of inquiry-oriented learning activities in science are observed to have below average levels of science literacy, but above average levels of interest in learning science, and above average engagement in science. These findings appear to run counter to science education orthodoxy that the more students experience inquiry-oriented teaching and learning, the more likely they are to have stronger science literacy, as well as more positive affect towards science. We discuss the implications of these findings for science educators and researchers.

Citation

McConney, A., Oliver, M. C., Woods-McConney, A., Schibeci, R., & Maor, D. (2014). Inquiry, engagement, and literacy in science: a retrospective, cross-national analysis of PISA 2006. Science Education, 98(6), https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21135

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Sep 14, 2014
Deposit Date Dec 18, 2014
Publicly Available Date Mar 29, 2024
Journal Science Education
Print ISSN 0036-8326
Electronic ISSN 0036-8326
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 98
Issue 6
DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.21135
Public URL https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/735947
Publisher URL http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sce.21135/abstract
Additional Information This is the accepted version of the following article: McConney, A., Oliver, M.C., Woods-McConney, A., Schibeci, R., Maor, D., Inquiry, engagement, and literacy in science: a retrospective, cross-national analysis of PISA 2006, Science Education, 98(6), (2014), 963-980, which has been published in final form at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sce.21135/abstract