2014 Volume 55 Issue 3 Pages 351-361
The purpose of this study is to clarify the causal model of factors affecting the hypothesis setting ability in science of elementary school students and, further, to obtain suggestions for devising teaching methods.
In order to achieve this purpose, first, a 45-item questionnaire survey was conducted on 322 6th grade students, and the following five factors that affect “the hypothesis setting ability” were identified: “rich in natural experiences”, “favor of science”, “favor of arithmetic”, “interested in nature/science and technology”, “confidence in science”. Next, “the hypothesis setting ability” was evaluated regarding two aspects: “the identification of variables” and “the recognition of causal relationships”. The students’ answers were scored, and a path diagram was drawn and analyzed using these seven variables. As a result, the following six findings were obtained:
① “Interested in nature/science and technology” co-varied with “rich in natural experiences”, being at the initial stage of causal relationships that affects “the identification of variables”.
② “Interested in nature/science and technology” and “rich in natural experiences” directly affected “confidence in science”.
③ “Favor of science” were affected by “interested in nature/science and technology” and “rich in natural experiences”, and directly affected “favor of arithmetic”.
④ “Favor of arithmetic” were affected by “interested in nature/science and technology” and “favor of science”, and directly affected “confidence in science”.
⑤ “Confidence in science” were affected by “interested in nature/science and technology”, “rich in natural experiences” and “favor of arithmetic”, and directly affected “the identification of variables”.
⑥ “The identification of variables” strong directly affected “the recognition of causal relationships”.
Based on these findings, in order to improve the hypothesis setting ability in science of elementary school students, it was possible to obtain the bases and suggestions which support the possibility of guidance in order to foster students’ ability to identify variables from natural phenomena, recognize them as causal relationships, and construct hypotheses expressed in sentences.
