Investigating the Influence of Topic Writing in Biology Teaching on Students’ Critical Thinking Disposition Improvement

Mingxing Chen; Nongnong Shi

doi:doi:10.11648/j.sjedu.20160406.17

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Investigating the Influence of Topic Writing in Biology Teaching on Students’ Critical Thinking Disposition Improvement

Mingxing Chen, Nongnong Shi

Published in Science Journal of Education (Volume 4, Issue 6)

Received: 30 November 2016 Accepted: 9 December 2016 Published: 6 January 2017

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Abstract

The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory-Chinese Version (CTDI-CV) revised by Ms Meici Peng et al. were used to sample and analyze the students from a high school in Hangzhou, China. The average score of the students' critical thinking disposition was 255.9, and no single dimension exceeded 40 points, suggesting that the overall critical thinking was weak. The students’ score of critical thinking slightly increased from grade one to grade three, but the increase was very subtle, which was similar to the findings from other studies. The reasons were analyzed from three aspects: social and cultural background, family education, and school education system. Two classes in grade one were chosen to perform the parallel practical study for two months. These two classes had no significant difference in CTDI-CV pre-test. For the experimental class, we conducted teaching experiment for two months, assigning several biology topic writings related to class knowledge; the teachers graded the assays and gave feedback. The control class was given normal teaching. The experimental class showed extremely significant improvements in truth seeking (p = 0.006 < 0.01) and analytical ability (p = 0.003 <0.01), indicating that topic writing could help improve the critical thinking ability of high school students in certain aspects, although it didn’t get significantly increased total score (p = 0.059> 0.05) of critical thinking disposition compared to the pre-test. Some feasible suggestions on how to train the critical thinking ability of students in biology teaching were also proposed.

Published in	Science Journal of Education (Volume 4, Issue 6)
DOI	10.11648/j.sjedu.20160406.17
Page(s)	206-213
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2017. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Critical Thinking, Biology Topic Writing, CTDI-CV Analysis

References

[1]	John, D. (Wenhe J. translated) (1991). How do we think? experience and education (pp. 45). Beijing: People’s Education Press.
[2]	Qin C. (2013). Preliminary study of cultivating students' critical thinking in high school biology teaching. Master degree thesis, Wuhan: Central China Normal University.
[3]	National Research Council of United States. (1999). National Science Education Standards (pp. 123). Beijing: Science and Technology Press.
[4]	Xiaohuan, Y. & Dapeng Y. (2011). The students’ critical thinking training in geography teaching under the new curriculum reform. New curriculum: Education academy, 4, 32-33.
[5]	The Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. (2003). High school biology curriculum standard. Beijing: People’s Education Press.
[6]	Meici, P., Guocheng, W., Jile, Ch., et al.. (2004). The reliability and validity test and research of Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory. Chinese Journal of Nursing, 9, 644-647.
[7]	Shijian, W. (2014). Practical study of high school students’ critical thinking disposition. The Journal of Shandong Normal University School of Foreign Languages: Elementary English teaching, 16, 24-29.
[8]	Huiyun, G. (2009). The experimental study oncritical thinking training in biology teaching of high school. Master degree thesis, Kun Ming: Yunnan Normal University.
[9]	Guangpu, Ouyang. (2012). The investigation on college students’ critical thinking situation in China and the influencing factors——H University as an example. Master degree thesis, Wuhan: Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
[10]	George, O. (Shaoming, L. translated). (2013). Nineteen eighty-four (pp. 235). Beijing: October Literature and Art Press.
[11]	Xiaotong, F. (2013). Rural China (pp. 110). Beijing: SDX Joint Publishing Company.
[12]	Boning, Zh. (2015). Investigating the correlation between inferiority feeling of middle school students and their family educationmethods. Research on Course Education, 30, 201-202.
[13]	Guiqin, Zh. (2012). A preliminary study on diagnosis and treatment of avian influenza virus. China Abstract on Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, 7, 117.
[14]	Xi, J. (2015). Cultivation of critical thinking in high school biology teaching - a case study of the current popular issues. Education Review: Mid-to-late issue, 12, 76-78.

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APA Style

Mingxing Chen, Nongnong Shi. (2017). Investigating the Influence of Topic Writing in Biology Teaching on Students’ Critical Thinking Disposition Improvement. Science Journal of Education, 4(6), 206-213. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20160406.17

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ACS Style

Mingxing Chen; Nongnong Shi. Investigating the Influence of Topic Writing in Biology Teaching on Students’ Critical Thinking Disposition Improvement. Sci. J. Educ. 2017, 4(6), 206-213. doi: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20160406.17

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AMA Style

Mingxing Chen, Nongnong Shi. Investigating the Influence of Topic Writing in Biology Teaching on Students’ Critical Thinking Disposition Improvement. Sci J Educ. 2017;4(6):206-213. doi: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20160406.17

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@article{10.11648/j.sjedu.20160406.17,
  author = {Mingxing Chen and Nongnong Shi},
  title = {Investigating the Influence of Topic Writing in Biology Teaching on Students’ Critical Thinking Disposition Improvement},
  journal = {Science Journal of Education},
  volume = {4},
  number = {6},
  pages = {206-213},
  doi = {10.11648/j.sjedu.20160406.17},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20160406.17},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjedu.20160406.17},
  abstract = {The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory-Chinese Version (CTDI-CV) revised by Ms Meici Peng et al. were used to sample and analyze the students from a high school in Hangzhou, China. The average score of the students' critical thinking disposition was 255.9, and no single dimension exceeded 40 points, suggesting that the overall critical thinking was weak. The students’ score of critical thinking slightly increased from grade one to grade three, but the increase was very subtle, which was similar to the findings from other studies. The reasons were analyzed from three aspects: social and cultural background, family education, and school education system. Two classes in grade one were chosen to perform the parallel practical study for two months. These two classes had no significant difference in CTDI-CV pre-test. For the experimental class, we conducted teaching experiment for two months, assigning several biology topic writings related to class knowledge; the teachers graded the assays and gave feedback. The control class was given normal teaching. The experimental class showed extremely significant improvements in truth seeking (p = 0.006 < 0.01) and analytical ability (p = 0.003 <0.01), indicating that topic writing could help improve the critical thinking ability of high school students in certain aspects, although it didn’t get significantly increased total score (p = 0.059> 0.05) of critical thinking disposition compared to the pre-test. Some feasible suggestions on how to train the critical thinking ability of students in biology teaching were also proposed.},
 year = {2017}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Investigating the Influence of Topic Writing in Biology Teaching on Students’ Critical Thinking Disposition Improvement
AU  - Mingxing Chen
AU  - Nongnong Shi
Y1  - 2017/01/06
PY  - 2017
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20160406.17
DO  - 10.11648/j.sjedu.20160406.17
T2  - Science Journal of Education
JF  - Science Journal of Education
JO  - Science Journal of Education
SP  - 206
EP  - 213
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2329-0897
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20160406.17
AB  - The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory-Chinese Version (CTDI-CV) revised by Ms Meici Peng et al. were used to sample and analyze the students from a high school in Hangzhou, China. The average score of the students' critical thinking disposition was 255.9, and no single dimension exceeded 40 points, suggesting that the overall critical thinking was weak. The students’ score of critical thinking slightly increased from grade one to grade three, but the increase was very subtle, which was similar to the findings from other studies. The reasons were analyzed from three aspects: social and cultural background, family education, and school education system. Two classes in grade one were chosen to perform the parallel practical study for two months. These two classes had no significant difference in CTDI-CV pre-test. For the experimental class, we conducted teaching experiment for two months, assigning several biology topic writings related to class knowledge; the teachers graded the assays and gave feedback. The control class was given normal teaching. The experimental class showed extremely significant improvements in truth seeking (p = 0.006 < 0.01) and analytical ability (p = 0.003 <0.01), indicating that topic writing could help improve the critical thinking ability of high school students in certain aspects, although it didn’t get significantly increased total score (p = 0.059> 0.05) of critical thinking disposition compared to the pre-test. Some feasible suggestions on how to train the critical thinking ability of students in biology teaching were also proposed.
VL  - 4
IS  - 6
ER  -

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Author Information

Mingxing Chen

School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
Nongnong Shi

School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Mingxing Chen, Nongnong Shi. (2017). Investigating the Influence of Topic Writing in Biology Teaching on Students’ Critical Thinking Disposition Improvement. Science Journal of Education, 4(6), 206-213. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20160406.17

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ACS Style

Mingxing Chen; Nongnong Shi. Investigating the Influence of Topic Writing in Biology Teaching on Students’ Critical Thinking Disposition Improvement. Sci. J. Educ. 2017, 4(6), 206-213. doi: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20160406.17

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AMA Style

Mingxing Chen, Nongnong Shi. Investigating the Influence of Topic Writing in Biology Teaching on Students’ Critical Thinking Disposition Improvement. Sci J Educ. 2017;4(6):206-213. doi: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20160406.17

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@article{10.11648/j.sjedu.20160406.17,
  author = {Mingxing Chen and Nongnong Shi},
  title = {Investigating the Influence of Topic Writing in Biology Teaching on Students’ Critical Thinking Disposition Improvement},
  journal = {Science Journal of Education},
  volume = {4},
  number = {6},
  pages = {206-213},
  doi = {10.11648/j.sjedu.20160406.17},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20160406.17},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjedu.20160406.17},
  abstract = {The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory-Chinese Version (CTDI-CV) revised by Ms Meici Peng et al. were used to sample and analyze the students from a high school in Hangzhou, China. The average score of the students' critical thinking disposition was 255.9, and no single dimension exceeded 40 points, suggesting that the overall critical thinking was weak. The students’ score of critical thinking slightly increased from grade one to grade three, but the increase was very subtle, which was similar to the findings from other studies. The reasons were analyzed from three aspects: social and cultural background, family education, and school education system. Two classes in grade one were chosen to perform the parallel practical study for two months. These two classes had no significant difference in CTDI-CV pre-test. For the experimental class, we conducted teaching experiment for two months, assigning several biology topic writings related to class knowledge; the teachers graded the assays and gave feedback. The control class was given normal teaching. The experimental class showed extremely significant improvements in truth seeking (p = 0.006 < 0.01) and analytical ability (p = 0.003 <0.01), indicating that topic writing could help improve the critical thinking ability of high school students in certain aspects, although it didn’t get significantly increased total score (p = 0.059> 0.05) of critical thinking disposition compared to the pre-test. Some feasible suggestions on how to train the critical thinking ability of students in biology teaching were also proposed.},
 year = {2017}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Investigating the Influence of Topic Writing in Biology Teaching on Students’ Critical Thinking Disposition Improvement
AU  - Mingxing Chen
AU  - Nongnong Shi
Y1  - 2017/01/06
PY  - 2017
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20160406.17
DO  - 10.11648/j.sjedu.20160406.17
T2  - Science Journal of Education
JF  - Science Journal of Education
JO  - Science Journal of Education
SP  - 206
EP  - 213
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2329-0897
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20160406.17
AB  - The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory-Chinese Version (CTDI-CV) revised by Ms Meici Peng et al. were used to sample and analyze the students from a high school in Hangzhou, China. The average score of the students' critical thinking disposition was 255.9, and no single dimension exceeded 40 points, suggesting that the overall critical thinking was weak. The students’ score of critical thinking slightly increased from grade one to grade three, but the increase was very subtle, which was similar to the findings from other studies. The reasons were analyzed from three aspects: social and cultural background, family education, and school education system. Two classes in grade one were chosen to perform the parallel practical study for two months. These two classes had no significant difference in CTDI-CV pre-test. For the experimental class, we conducted teaching experiment for two months, assigning several biology topic writings related to class knowledge; the teachers graded the assays and gave feedback. The control class was given normal teaching. The experimental class showed extremely significant improvements in truth seeking (p = 0.006 < 0.01) and analytical ability (p = 0.003 <0.01), indicating that topic writing could help improve the critical thinking ability of high school students in certain aspects, although it didn’t get significantly increased total score (p = 0.059> 0.05) of critical thinking disposition compared to the pre-test. Some feasible suggestions on how to train the critical thinking ability of students in biology teaching were also proposed.
VL  - 4
IS  - 6
ER  -

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