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Languages of sciences in the classroom : a study on students in a Singapore secondary school
Author
Foo, Hui Yueh
Supervisor
Yau, Chee Ming
Chew, Charles
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to develop a multiple choice diagnostic instrument to assess secondary students’ mastery level of the languages of sciences. In addition to scientific English, there are also other essential "languages", in the sense of cultural systems of semiotic resources in science: the languages of visual representation, the languages of mathematical symbolism, and the languages of experimental operations. The instrument, the Languages of Sciences diagnostic Test (LoST), was developed to measure six categories of languages of sciences (concept words, everyday words, graphs, mathematics, symbols, and diagrams) using 30 items. The LoST was administered to 724 students across all the five secondary grade levels, from both the Express and Normal Academic streams in a secondary school. The students were given 30 minutes to answer the items.
Statistical analysis was performed on each of the categories that make up the LoST and a multivariate analysis of variance was performed to identify the variables that affect the students’ mastery level of the languages of sciences. Results indicate that students fared best in the category of everyday words and worst in the category of concept words. Also, numerous students were found to hold alternative conceptions in the categories of concept words, graphs and symbols. The correlation between mathematics and symbols is the strongest while that between everyday words and diagrams is the weakest. It was found that gender, achievement level and the grade level affect all categories of the languages of sciences. Implications of the results are discussed in terms of the role of languages of sciences and the use of diagnostic tests in the science classroom.
Statistical analysis was performed on each of the categories that make up the LoST and a multivariate analysis of variance was performed to identify the variables that affect the students’ mastery level of the languages of sciences. Results indicate that students fared best in the category of everyday words and worst in the category of concept words. Also, numerous students were found to hold alternative conceptions in the categories of concept words, graphs and symbols. The correlation between mathematics and symbols is the strongest while that between everyday words and diagrams is the weakest. It was found that gender, achievement level and the grade level affect all categories of the languages of sciences. Implications of the results are discussed in terms of the role of languages of sciences and the use of diagnostic tests in the science classroom.
Date Issued
2010
Call Number
Q183.4.S55 Foo
Date Submitted
2010