Relationships among informal learning environments, teaching procedures and scientific reasoning ability

This study of middle school and high school students used the independent variables of informal leaning environment (impoverished or enriched) and science classroom teaching procedure (non-inquiry and inquiry) to explore possible differences in the dependent variable of scientific reasoning ability. The purposes of this study were to: (1) develop and field test an instrument, the Informal Learning Assay (ILA), that assesses the wide variety informal experiences a child may encounter; (2) describe the informal learning environments of children; (3) investigate possible differences in students' scientific reasoning abilities relative to informal learning environments, classroom teaching procedures and/or the interaction of these variables; and (4) examine possible differences in reasoning abilities relative to informal learning environments, classroom teaching procedures and the interaction of these variables among students within different grade levels. The ILA was found to provide a reliable and valid assessment of students' informal learning activities. Scores on the ILA produced a continuum with high values indicating enriched informal learning environments and low values indicating impoverished informal learning environments. The results of two-way ANOVAs indicated that informal learning environments and classroom teaching procedures produced significant main effects on scientific reasoning abilities. Interactions revealed a tendency for scientific reasoning abilities to be higher with enriched informal learning environments and inquiry teaching procedures. The results indicated unique relationship patterns in informal learning environments and teaching procedures among students within the different grade levels.