The new science and engineering practice of developing and using models is needed to achieve the vision of three-dimensional teaching and learning and should be an important new component of teacher preparation programs. This chapter examined critical thinking and preservice teachers' preconceptions about critical thinking and the practice of developing and using models. The results of the study indicated that when preservice teachers initially described how this practice might look in the classroom, only two of the six categories outlined in A Science Framework for K-12 Science Education for this practice were described by most participants. Of those two categories described by most participants, the majority were at a novice level. These results emphasize the necessity for elementary teacher education to provide opportunities for preservice teachers to better understand the practice of developing and using models, and how critical thinking can help teachers use models.
TopIntroduction
The development of critical thinking has been a widely accepted goal in education for many years with varying definitions across fields (Halpern, 2003; Hitchcock, 2018; Horvath & Forte, 2011). Hitchcock (2018) asserts there is a basic concept that anchors differing conceptions of critical thinking: careful thinking directed to a goal. Critical thinking skills encompass the need to retrieve information so that it will be available when needed to test hypotheses, predict or control environments, evaluate evidence, assess claims, monitor comprehension, solve problems, estimate likelihoods, and make decisions (Halpern, 2003). Some of these critical thinking skills are used more often than others in different academic disciplines (Halpern, 2003). Conceptions differ depending on the type of goal, criteria or norms for thinking, and the thinking components that are the focus (Hitchcock, 2018).
Critical thinking can be improved in the science classroom by embedding strategies asking students to develop a deep understanding of concepts and competencies required to succeed in science by basing them upon evidence (Halpern, 2003; The Critical Thinking Consortium, 2015). To be competitive in the 21st century, American students are competing with students from across the globe. In 2010 Achieve completed an international benchmarking study of ten countries’ science standards, identified through international assessments (Programme for International Student Assessment) and studies (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study). The study noted a prominent shortcoming from studying leading nations, a call for students to consistently focus on evidence (Achieve, 2010). There is a need to “consistently incorporate science practices that focus on establishing lines of evidence, using evidence to substantiate claims, to develop and refine testable explanations, and to make predictions about natural phenomena” (Achieve, 2010, p. 5). The success of these high performing countries (including Singapore, Finland, Korea, Canada, and Japan) gave guidance to the National Research Council Framework (NRC, 2012) and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS Lead States, 2013) (Achieve, 2010). A primary successful feature noted after studying leading nations in the report was developing students’ capacity to understand, design and apply physical, conceptual, and mathematical models as a key ability that should be interwoven in the new U.S. standards. “Scientific model-building is an important tool of science conceptualization and theorizing” (Achieve, 2010. p. 57). Developing and using models can improve critical thinking in science education because models are based on evidence (NRC, 2012). Modeling lies at the core of modern science and engineering providing a way to mediate or negotiate our ideas with empirical data and can help learners better advance their understanding of concepts (Schwarz et al., 2017).