An interpretive study of students' use of scientific reasoning during a collaborative report writing intervention in ninth grade general science

Abstract

Abstract Laboratory report writing should promote learners' ability to reason scientifically from data to conclusions, especially if opportunities for collaborative discussion are provided, yet few studies have examined the use of writing as a tool for the development of scientific reasoning skills. The purpose of this study was to investigate scientific reasoning skills used by students in a naturalistic collaborative writing context and changes in students' reasoning discourse over time. During the fall and winter of 1992‐1993, three ninth grade general science classes taught by one teacher participated in a collaborative writing intervention. The students wrote ten collaborative laboratory reports over the course of the intervention. Report guidelines were designed by the teacher and the researcher to assist students with their writing. An interpretive research design was used to study the conversations of three target student pairs in depth. Eleven distinct, yet integrated scientific reasoning skills used to support report composition emerged from the data. The emergent scientific reasoning skills reflected the socially constructed nature of reasoning for collaborative writing. Patterns in the data revealed that all target students used reasoning skills in similar ways to: (a) assess prior models of scientific phenomena; (b) generate new models for scientific phenomena; (c) extend models to new situations; and (d) support other forms of reasoning. One of the target pairs improved their reasoning discourse over time by discussing conceptual meanings more fully and bringing specific information into their conversations. The other two target pairs did not change their reasoning discourse systematically throughout the intervention. The findings of this study suggest that an understanding of socially constructed scientific reasoning skills is important for designing meaningful collaborative activities and assessments in science. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.