The contribution of philosophy (P4c) education for secondary school students to scientific inquiry views and development of critical thinking skills: A mixed method research

This research aims to examine the effects of Philosophy for Children (P4C) education on the nature of science, scientific concepts, thoughts on scientific research and critical thinking skills, and students' attitudes towards practice. The research was carried out in Mehmet Akif Ersoy Secondary School affiliated to Alanya District National Education Directorate in the fall semester of the 2018-2019 academic year. The mixed research model was used in the research. A total of 68 students participated in the study, 33 experiments and 35 controls. Students were randomly determined by the researcher as pre-test-post-test, applied experiment and control group. In the research, Conceptual Achievement Exam, Basic Skills Scale (TBÖ) and Critical Thinking Skill Test (EDBT) as a quantitative data source, and as a qualitative data source, the Scientific Research Opinion Questionnaire (VOSI-S) and 3N tables were applied, and the P4C sessions were video recorded. In the first 2 and the last 2 weeks of the 12-week application period, tests were performed, and in 8 weeks P4C activities were applied with short scientific stories, compiled by the researcher, with two lessons each week. Conceptual success exam, TBÖ and EDBT data used in the research were analysed with SPSS 22.0 statistics program. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to determine whether the pre-test post-test difference of the groups showed normal distribution. In the group evaluations, t-Test for Related Samples in the scales and tests where normality assumption was provided, and Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test in scales and tests that did not assume normality assumption. In the comparison of the control group and the experimental group, the t-Test for unrelated samples was used in the scales and tests that provided the normality assumption, and the Mann-Whitney U test was performed in the scales and tests that did not provide the normality assumption. vii Descriptive and content analysis of the data compiled by using the descriptive coding table of the students' expressions for the dialogues in the VOSI-S, 3N tables and P4C sessions. In the quantitative findings of the research, there was a significant difference in favour of the experimental group in the final test scores in the conceptual achievement exam and EDBT test, and the effect size calculated from the test indicates that this difference is medium for the conceptual achievement exam and high for EDBT. In the analysis of the questions about the scientific process skills in the conceptual achievement exam, the difference in points is 23% in favour of the experimental group. There was a moderate difference in the post-test of the experimental group, but there was no significant difference between the experimental and control groups. As a result of the descriptive analysis of the VOSI-S questionnaire in the qualitative dimension of the research, the students in the experimental group showed more improvement in the views about the science, scientific research and the characteristics that scientists should have, while in the quantitative analysis of the digitized survey data, there was a moderate difference in favour of the experimental group calculated. During the research, with the application of the 3N tables applied to the experimental group and the content analysis of the dialogues in the sessions, positive changes were observed in the experimental group students' scientific concepts, scientific process skills, observation, inference, saving data and inference. Positive changes were observed in students' discussion, reasoning and especially critical thinking skills. Statements from the 3N 2 table about the positive changes in students' attitudes towards the course, respect for others, and self-esteem; Findings regarding the positive developments in the opinions of students regarding science, scientist, scientific method and scientific information have been reached. As a result of the research, it can be said that Philosophy for Children (P4C) education improves of secondary school students' conceptual achievements, critical thinking skills, thoughts towards scientific research, and attitudes towards practice; however, it can be said that it doesn't make a significant difference in scientific process skills.