An analysis on the knowledge and skills in integrated science processes of fourth year high school students in the public high schools in Manila

• Main Author: Ale, Janet Palce
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1991
• Subjects: High school students; Public schools; Ability > Testing; Science > Study and teaching; High schools; Other Statistics and Probability; Physical Sciences and Mathematics; Science and Mathematics Education; Secondary Education
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/1407
• Institution: De La Salle University

Statement of the Problem: This study aimed primarily to determine the knowledge and skills of fourth year high school students in integrated science processes in four selected public high schools in the Division of City Schools, Manila. Specifically, this study tries to answer the following questions: 1. How do the results of The Science Process Test measuring the integrated science process skills obtained here in the Philippines compare with the results of testing obtained in the United States? 2. Is there a significant difference in integrated science process skills as measured by the Science Process Test scores according to mental ability? 3. Is there a significant difference in the contribution of each of the selected variables specifically: Mental Ability (X1), Science Attitude (X2), Mathematics GPA (X3), Science GPA (X4) on the Science Process Test? 4. Which variable serves as the best predictor in the students' performance in the TSPT? 5. Is there a significant difference in integrated science process skills as measured by The Science Process Test scores according to scientific attitude grouped as positive intellectual, negative intellectual, positive emotional, and negative emotional? Procedure: The respondent of this study comprised of 420 fourth year high school students from four selected public high schools in the Division of City Schools, Manila, during the school year 1989-1990. Systematic random sampling was used to ensure a more representative of the population. The descriptive analytical method of research was utilized with questionnaire-checklist as the main mode of generating information. The instrument used to measure the performance of the respondent in integrated science processes is The Science Process Test (TSPT) developed and validated by Dr. Robert Ludeman of Andrew University, Michigan. This is a 45 minute pencil-and-paper test of 36 five-choice item. The integrated science processes assessed by the TSPT are the following: interpreting data, controlling variables, formulating hypotheses and defining operationally. The Otis-Lennon School Ability Test form R Advance was administered to determine the mental ability scores of the subjects. The Science Attitude Inventory was also administered to determine their attitude toward science. Treatment of Data: Simple frequency count, tabulation of mean, standard deviation, skewness and kurtosis, comparative and correlational analysis were used to organize, analyze and interpret data. Analysis of variance was applied on the TSPT scores to determine the significant difference in the students' test performance in integrated science processes when classified according to mental ability and science attitude. To determine whether or not mean of the TSPT score from two independent samples are significantly different beyond what would be expected due to sample-to-sample variation, the t-test was applied. Regression analysis was utilized to determine if there is a significant correlation between the TSPT score and each of the selected variables: mental ability, science attitude, Math GPA and Science GPA, and it also helped to determine which variable could serve as the best predictor in the students' performance in the TSPT. Calculations were done through a computer package. Findings: The data gathered and analyzed revealed the ff: 1. The respondents in the United States performed better in integrated science process skills test as compared with the performance of the students here in the Philippines. The T-test for independent samples revealed that there is a significant difference between the mean of the TSPT score of the samples used by the researcher.