| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立嘉義大學 === 科學教育研究所 === 93 === The purpose of this study was to discuss the influence of critical thinking skills and dispositions development to the elementary school students by combing the instruction of science histories with the learning of science and technology area.
This research conducts the pretest-posttest quasi-experimental research method. The participants of this research include fifth-grade students in a district elementary in Chiayi City. Both experiment and control groups consist of 108 students from four different classes. In the area of science and technology learning, the experiment group instruction combined with the teaching of science histories, while the control group was instructed in a traditional teaching strategy. In a one semester study, including four different teaching units, both experiment and control groups took “critical thinking ability test” and “critical thinking disposition test” before and after the instruction. The researcher then conducted various covariance processing analysis to this study. Six major findings emerged from this study.
1. Combining science histories with science and technology learning area can promote elementary school students’ critical thinking skills.
2. Combining science histories with science and technology learning area can promote elementary school students’ critical thinking dispositions
3. Students with higher grades perform better critical thinking skills than students with lower grades.
4. Receiving the instruction of science histories, students with higher grades and students with average grades demonstrated a significant change on the posttest regarding critical thinking skills. However, students with lower grades did not show a significant change on the posttest.
5. Receiving the instruction of science histories, students with higher grades demonstrated a significant change on posttest regarding students’ critical thinking dispositions. However, students with average and lower grades did not show a significant change on the posttest.
6. There were no significant gender differences in critical thinking skills and dispositions.
On the other hand, the result showed that embedding the histories of science with elementary school science and technology learning area into science instruction can promote students’ critical thinking skills and dispositions. In addition, the researcher suggests teachers apply this teaching strategy to science and technology learning area. Moreover, the researcher notes that students can learn how to view things through scientists’ aspects if teachers apply experience operation to science instruction. Finally, the researcher recommends teachers use quality research tool in order to realize the change of students’ critical thinking skills and dispositions thoroughly. This way, teachers will be better-prepared to come up with better teaching strategies in the future.
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