Examination of Learning Equity among Prospective Science Teachers Who are Concrete, Formal and Postformal Reasoners after an Argumentation-Based Inquiry Course - Article

Oct 15, 2026

This study addresses learning equity in science teacher education by examining how prospective science teachers with concrete, formal, and postformal reasoning profiles respond to argumentation-based physics inquiry. Scientific reasoning gains, conceptual knowledge, and achievement gaps were measured before and after instruction across 114 participants. Concrete reasoners showed higher reasoning gains, while postformal reasoners outperformed on a situational conceptual knowledge subscale and initial/final achievement. Further analyses indicated reduced final achievement differences compared with initial ones, with implications discussed for teacher education programs.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages23

Reading Time58 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Volume 41 | Issue 2 Article 5 2016 Examination of Learning Equity among Prospective Science Teachers Who are Concrete, Formal and Postformal Reasoners after an Argumentation-Based Inquiry Course ÖmerAcar Kocaeli University, [acarok@gmail.com](acarok@gmail.com) Bruce R. Patton Ohio State University Recommended Citation Acar, Ö., & Patton, B. R. (2016). Examination of Learning Equity among Prospective Science Teachers Who are Concrete, Formal and Postformal Reasoners after an Argumentation-Based Inquiry Course. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 41 (2). [http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2016v41n2.5](http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2016v41n2.5) This Journal Article is posted at Research Online. [http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol41/iss2/5](http://ro.ecu.edu.au/ajte/vol41/iss2/5) Examination of Learning Equity among Prospective Science Teachers Who are Concrete, Formal and Postformal Reasoners after an Argumentation Based Inquiry Course Ömer Acar Kocaeli University, College Of Education, Umuttepe Campus, Izmit,Turkey Bruce R. Patton Physics Department, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA Abstract: This study had two research purposes. First, we examined the scientific reasoning gains of prospective science teachers who are concrete, formal, and postformal reasoners in an argumentation based physics inquiry instruction. Second, we sought conceptual knowledge and achievement gaps between these student groups before and after the instruction. Results were reported for 114 prospective science teachers. Results showed that concrete reasoners’ scientific reasoning gain was higher than those of formal and postformal reasoners. Moreover postformal reasoners outperformed formal and concrete reasoners on a situational conceptual knowledge subscale before and after instruction. In addition, postformal and formal reasoners scored higher than concrete reasoners both on an initial achievement and final achievement measures. However, in depth analyses showed that final achievement differences between postformal and concrete, and formal and concrete reasoners were lower than their respective initial achievement differences. Implications for teacher education programs were discussed according to these findings. Introduction Achieving equity in terms of student learning incomes and outcomes has been stressed as an important aim for science education in national and international guidelines (National Research Council [NRC], 2012; NGSS Lead States, 2013; The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2013) . From this perspective, research has examined if constructivist approaches to education help to achieve equity regarding student learning outcomes in science classrooms. More specifically, studies have compared the learning outcomes oflow achieving students (LAS) and high achieving students (HAS) in both inquiry-based and traditional learning environments. The results demonstrate that students who received inquiry instruction outperformed their peers who received traditional instruction over several learning outcomes (Akkus, Gunel, & Hand, 2007; Dogru-Atay & Tekkaya, 2008; Geier et al., 2008; Huppert, Lomask, & Lazarowitz, 2002; Lewis & Lewis, 2008; Liao & She, 2009). Furthermore, inquiry teaching was found to be beneficial for historically disadvantaged students (Akkus et al., 2007; Geier et al., 2008; Wilson, Taylor, Kowalski, & Carlson, 2010). However, it is essential to examine the learning outcomes of different student groups within a classroom setting to ensure that any reform-based instruction creates equal learning opportunities for these students, which is a research recommendation that is part of “science for all”(NRC, 2012) . In a review of argumentation literature, we found a limited number of studies that examined learning gains of LAS and HAS in argumentation-based inquiry instruction. A study by Zohar and Dori (2003) aimed to compare the reas

FAQs

What were the two main research purposes of the study?

The study examined (1) scientific reasoning gains of prospective science teachers with different reasoning levels after argumentation-based physics inquiry, and (2) conceptual knowledge and achievement gaps among these groups before and after instruction.

How did concrete, formal, and postformal reasoners differ in performance after instruction?

Concrete reasoners had higher scientific reasoning gains than formal and postformal reasoners. Postformal reasoners outperformed others on a situational conceptual knowledge subscale before and after instruction, and scored higher on both initial and final achievement measures.

What do the findings suggest for teacher education programs?

The results indicate that students’ reasoning levels are linked to reasoning gains, conceptual knowledge, and achievement patterns, and the paper discusses implications for how teacher education programs should address these differences.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by 4398046744996