PERSONAL FACTORS INFLUENCING THE UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENTIFIC TEXTS
Sofia Kasiara, Nikoletta Kosmidou, Kleanthi Manika, Pericles Akrivos
Pages: 26-33
Published: 13 Oct 2019
Views: 1,003
Downloads: 97
Abstract: Teaching Science is aided, throughout the educational system, by the study of appropriate textbooks. The content of the textbook used for a specific course plays a considerable role to the degree of the assimilation of the topics addressed by it; however, the actual way it is viewed by the readers/students is also expected to be a major factor. In the current study a double-page spread text is introduced to students of Chemistry. The topic described concisely is related to catalysis and the text is accompanied by a variety of visual aids (graph, algebraic equations, 2D chemical formula, diagram, table). The fifty students participating in the survey are covering the whole range from first-year undergraduates to postgraduates and they are tested for their comprehension of the text provided. The extent of this comprehension is correlated to their logical thinking, field dependence/independence and prior knowledge of the topic as they emerge from assessment of separate preliminary tests they have taken in advance.
Keywords: scientific text, prior knowledge, logical thinking, field dependence
Cite this article: Sofia Kasiara, Nikoletta Kosmidou, Kleanthi Manika, Pericles Akrivos. PERSONAL FACTORS INFLUENCING THE UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENTIFIC TEXTS. Journal of International Scientific Publications: Educational Alternatives 17, 26-33 (2019). https://www.scientific-publications.net/en/article/1001968/
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