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Abstract
The purpose of this study was to compare an inquiry-oriented Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS)-style laboratory approach with a more directive traditional approach on student outcomes in the cognitive and affective domains of learning at two private, midwestern liberal arts colleges. The BSCS approach emphasized basic and integrated science processes, concept development through extensive questioning, and increased student discretion, while the traditional approach contained highly structured, more prescriptive, teacher-oriented activities.
The experimental group (n = 60) scored significantly higher than the comparison group (n = 59) on adjusted posttest means from scores on a researcher-generated Test on Biology Laboratory Concepts, F(1,114) = 4.07, p $<$.05. There were no significant differences between group mean scores on a test measuring student attitudes toward science, The Biology Student Behavior Inventory, nor were there any significant differences between group mean scores on a formal reasoning test, the Group Assessment of Logical Thinking. However, both groups experienced a 15 percent increase in the number of formal thinkers as indicated by pretest-posttest gain scores.
These results lend support to the hypothesis that a BSCS-style laboratory approach fosters desired learner outcomes at the postsecondary level. In addition, the findings support the notion that the science laboratory may be used as a primary vehicle to promote formal reasoning skills.
