Assessing Ghanaian primary school pupils’ scientific reasoning skills

Abstract

Science education seeks to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to solve problems in society. To be successful in solving problems, one has to develop scientific reasoning skills. Although scientific reasoning skills are emphasized in the Ghanaian science curriculum, it is not explicitly taught, making it difficult to determine whether Ghanaian school children have developed them. This study, therefore, sought to assess the scientific reasoning skills of primary school pupils in Ghana. In doing so, efforts were made to investigate if differences existed in the scientific reasoning skills of boys and girls in different class levels in primary schools. A cross-sectional survey of 1,066 primary school pupils from 10 schools in Kumasi Metropolis in Ghana was conducted using the science P reasoning inventory. Means, standard deviation, independent sample t-test, and one-way multivariate analysis of variance were the statistical tools used to analyze the data obtained. The study revealed that class 4 and class 5 pupils demonstrated naïve scientific reasoning skills while class 6 pupils exhibited an intermediate level of scientific reasoning skills with no difference between boys and girls in each class. The study’s findings highlight the need for a carefully structured and progressive curriculum that effectively develops scientific reasoning skills as pupils advance through different grade levels.