Relationships between Scientific Process Skills and Scientific Creativity: Mediating Role of Nature of Science Knowledge

Year 2017, Volume: 3 Issue: 1, 52 - 68, 31.01.2017

Gokhan Ozdemir Ayhan Dikici

https://doi.org/10.21891/jeseh.275696

Cited By: 13

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore the
strength of relationships between 7^th grade students’ Scientific
Process Skills (SPS), Nature of Science (NOS) beliefs, and Scientific
Creativity (SC) through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). For
this purpose, data were collected from 332 students of two public middle school
students in Turkey. SPS, Nature of Scientific Knowledge Scale (NSKS) and SC instruments were used as data
collection tools. Zero-order and partial correlation analysis, MANCOVA and
ANCOVA analyses were conducted on the data. Two models were hypothesized. In
Hypothesized Model 1, it was considered that SPS both directly and indirectly
through subscales of NSKS predicted SC;
whereas, in Hypothesized Model 2, it was considered that the SPS directly
predicted SC. SEM analysis was conducted to test the two hypothesized models. Sobel’s z
tests were conducted to examine the significance of the mediator roles of
NSKS’s subscales in the relationships between SPS and SC. Results indicated
that the relationships between SPS and SC were partially mediated by only the
Testable subscale of NSKS; likewise, this relationship was partially mediated
by second-order factor NSKS. Finally, we found that the Creative subscale of NSKS has a moderator role on predictive power of the SPS on
the SC. Classroom implications obtained from the results are discussed in the
paper.

Keywords

Scientific process skills, Scientific creativity, Nature of science, Creativity

References

• Ozdemir, G. & Dikici, A. (2017). Relationships between scientific process skills and scientific creativity: Mediating role of nature of science knowledge. Journal of Education in Science, Environment and Health (JESEH), 3(1), 52-68.