Science Process Skills of BS in Elementary Education Students: An Assessment

By: Shiela Isorena-Arroco

Ph.D. in Physics Education Student

Introduction
Science is more than a mere collection of facts or ideas. It is a unique way of
knowing what implies a particular manner of thinking and acting in the world. Process
skills are the tools scientists use “to know” about our world. These science process skills
include observing, classifying, inferring, predicting, measuring, communicating, defining
operationally, formulating hypothesis, experimenting, recognizing variables, interpreting
data, and formulating models.
The first half of the skills in the list are known as the basic science process skills,
while the last half of the skills in the list are known as the integrated science process
skills. Likewise, these integrated science process skills are also considered as the problem
solving skills which connote higher order thinking.
(http://scied.gsu.edu/Hanna/TAD/process_skills.htm) As reported by Hegelson
(http://scied.gsu.edu/Hassard/mos/8.7.html, 2003) in the literature of science education,
there is a strong linkage between problem solving and science process skills.
Science educators must not cease to offer students with experiential opportunities
to carry out systematic processes in solving scientific problems. Articulation of the
science process can capture the wonder in the study of science. The students, having
known the process how they arrived at a conclusion would indicate what is known as
functional science literacy, ensuring quality science education in our country.

Statement of the Problem

This paper aimed to determine the science process skills of the BS in elementary
in education students of Aquinas University of Legazpi, Legazpi City. Specifically, it
answered the following questions:
1. What is the extent of awareness of the BS in Elementary Education students of the
various science process skills?
2. What is the level of understanding of the BS in Elementary Education students of
the science process skills in terms of application?
3. What interventions can be done to enhance the knowledge and understanding of
the students regarding science process skills?

Theoretical Framework
Process skills allow the students to conduct investigation and come up with a
conclusion. It focuses more on the “hows” of doing something rather than on a particular
content only. In terms of retention of thinking patterns, it is believed that process skills
tend to last longer and these can be readily transferred to new situations.
(http://www.scienceinschool.org/2006/issue1/play)
The basic science process skills are developmentally appropriate for ages five and
above while the integrated science process skills are developmentally appropriate for
ages nine and above. In the Philippine educational system, these ages belong to the
elementary level of schooling. Therefore, at this early stage the pupils while doing
science can be exposed to the processes how the results are attained. This is the best stage
where pupils can be trained to describe how he has arrived to a conclusion using the
various science process skills he employed. Such practice can even boost pupils’ interest
in the subject aside from having understood the outcome of the result. It follows then that
to facilitate the utilization of the science process skills among elementary pupils, it would
require the teachers to be knowledgeable and practitioners of the science process skills in
solving daily problems.

Methodology
This paper employed the descriptive method employing quantitative analysis
relying on simple descriptive statistics. The sources of data included thirty 2nd year BS in
Elementary Education of Aquinas University of Legazpi, Legazpi City, Albay, enrolled
during the first semester of school year 2010-2011. A total enumeration was done. The
instrument used in the gathering of data was a teacher-made questionnaire consisting of
two parts. The first part is a test on awareness of the various science process skills which
included twelve items. The second part was a non mathematical problem or activity
which would employ the science process skills that were scored by means of rubrics. The
instrument was subjected to validation using the BEED students in the upper year level.

Students’ Awareness of the Science Processes

Based from the results shown in table 1, majority of the 2nd year BS in Elementary
Education students are aware of classifying, predicting, and measuring as basic science
process skills. For the integrated science process skills, most are only aware of
recognizing variable. These results indicate that most of the students are not aware of the
science process skills.

Table 1
Percentage of Students’ Awareness of the Basic and Integrated Science Process Skills

Basic Science Process Skills Percentage (%)

Observing 16.7
Classifying 66.7
Inferring 30.0
Predicting 76.7
Measuring 90.0
Communicating 16.7
Integrated Science Process Skills Percentage (%)
Defining operationally 40.0
Formulating hypothesis 30.0
Experimenting 40.0
Recognizing variables 60.0
Interpreting data 30.0
Formulating models 23.3

Further analysis of their answers would reveal that most of the students answered
defining operationally under the item for observing, formulating hypothesis instead of
inferring, interpreting data instead of communicating, observing instead of defining
operationally, communicating instead of formulating hypothesis, formulating models
instead of experimenting, inferring instead of interpreting data, and communicating
instead of formulating models. This indicates that there exist a misconception of students
regarding the identification of science process skills. It can further be seen that fifty
percent (50%) of the basic while only 16.67% for the integrated science process skills are
clear to them. Since these students will be future elementary teachers in their respective
communities, this implies then that while they are still in the university, science
professors may help them improve their knowledge on the processes of science thru
activities that would require mastery of these skills.

Students’ Level of Understanding of Science Process Skills in Terms of Application

The students were given an activity entitled “Dropping Egg-sactly” which was
adopted from the Module in EDSC 370. They were ask how to protect the raw egg from
cracking when dropped from a height of at least 10 meters using only the given
materials. Each answer was analyzed per category, such as one category is on the
involvement of basic science process skills and the other is the employment of the
integrated science process skills.
A checklist was used to find out the most as well the least science process skills
employed by the students. The indicators for each skill was adopted from those presented
by the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP 1995).

Table 2.
Students’ Score in Terms of Application of Science Process Skills

Basic Science Process Skills Percentage (%)

Observing 70.0
Classifying 63.3
Inferring 43.3
Predicting 63.3
Measuring 70.0
Communicating 43.3
Integrated Science Process Skills Percentage (%)
Defining operationally 16.67
Formulating hypothesis 63.33
Experimenting 93.33
Recognizing variables 70.00
Interpreting data 23.33
Formulating models 93.33

As shown in table 2, most of the students demonstrated observing, classifying,

predicting and measuring for the basic science process skills. On the other hand, most
demonstrated formulating hypothesis, experimenting, recognizing variables, and
formulating models for the integrated science process skills. This means that these
process skills are those that they commonly employ in problem solving activities.
 The table also reveals that the students are low in the application of skills of
inferring, communicating, defining operationally, and interpreting data. This means that
these kind of skills are really not developed in them. This implies then that those skills
which were mostly demonstrated by the students be further enhanced while those which
are not known to them should be given attention by their science or professor in
professional education course where these skills are dealt with.
Further, it can be seen that while in table 1 the students are not aware of the skills
of observing, formulating hypothesis, and formulating models, table 2 shows that they
mostly employed the mentioned skills in the application part. This could mean that the
students are employing such science process skills only that they may not be fully aware
that their activity is already depicts the said skills.
However, those skills such as inferring, communicating, defining operationally,
and interpreting data consistently got low scores as revealed in both tables. Attention
needs to be given to these skills so that the graduates of BS in Elementary Education will
have a full knowledge of all these skills not only in theory but also in their application.

Proposed Interventions to Enhance Science Process Skills

The following are the proposed interventions to further enhance or develop

science skills among BS in Elementary Education Students: These are:
1. Expose the students to more activities that require the processes of science like
problem and practical works.
2.