THE ANALYSIS OF FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS' ACQUISITION OF THE PROCESS OF INVENTING (SCIENCE)
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not an instructional unit on inventing affected the inventive abilities of fifth and sixth graders and to investigate the possible effects of the instructional unit on students' creativity scores and attitudes towards science. Concomitantly, this study attempted to determine whether or not relationships existed between students' inventive abilities and the following: achievement, intelligence, creativity, and creative interests. One hundred seven fifth and sixth graders in three elementary schools were randomly assigned by school to experimental and control groups. The experimental group received instruction in the process of inventing followed by participation in a Rube Goldberg lesson and invention fair. The control group participated only in the Rube Goldberg lesson and invention fair. A posttest only control group designed was used. Multivariate analysis of covariance was used to adjust posttest scores using pretest scores, achievement and intelligence test scores. Analysis of the data revealed a number of significant interactions. For the measure of inventing, instruction by sex and school by grade were significant interactions. Achievement as a covariate was also found to be significant. The interaction, school by grade by sex, was significant for creativity. There were no correlations between inventing, creativity, and attitude towards science, as measured by this study, although changes in creativity scores and attitude towards science scores occurred. The results of this study suggest that instruction does increase inventiveness for some students.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Science education
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