The Eighth International Literacy & Education Research Network Conference on

SPETSES, GREECE
4-8 July 2001

Dr Mastor Khairul

Centre for General StudiesUniversiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

Individual Differences in Learning and Teaching Scientific Thinking Course: A Case Study in Malaysia

Abstract

The paper aims to explain the effect and role of individual differences in teaching and learning 'scientific thinking'. 180 students of science and non science faculties were administered a set of question consisting of basic components of scientific thinking. Components of scientific thinking tested include the analogical reasoning, serial ordering, and logical thinking. Results indicated that science students, as expected, were better significantly than their non-science counterparts in analogical reasoning and serial ordering. Both types of students, however, were not different in term of understanding logical schema of given problems. The findings suggest that teaching scientific thinking has to take consideration of individual differences as the determining factor.

Bionote

Dr Khairul Mastor is a lecturer at Centre for General Studies, UKM, Malaysia. He teaches Scientific Thinking course to students of different educational backgrounds. Graduated with a PhD from University of New South Wales, Australia, his research interest in developing instruments to measure scientific thinking skills, indigenously.

Presentation Type
Virtual

Country
Malaysia