Changes in students’ socioscientific reasoning in an environmental chemistry class : application of multi-facet rasch model

Abstract

The primary aim of this research is to evaluate the quality of change in socioscientific reasoning (SSR) among students through the application of the multi-facet Rasch model (MFRM) within a quasiexperimental quantitative research design. The study involved thirty-one students. All participants completed a ten-item test with open-ended questions. Student responses were assessed by five raters using a rubric, and the data were analyzed using the MFRM stacking technique. The analysis revealed that the data aligned with the MFRM measurements, and there were variations in students’ SSR scores between T1, T2, and T3. The postintervention change (T1–T2) demonstrated a positive shift, indicating the effectiveness of the intervention. However, postretention changes (T2–T3) showed a negative trend, suggesting a weakening of the intervention’s meaningfulness. When examining the nature of postintervention and postretention changes together, it became apparent that a significant proportion of students (71%) exhibited weak and inconsistent changes in their SSR, with some students experiencing anomalous shifts. Importantly for the accuracy of the MFRM measure, although the intervention initially resulted in positive changes, these changes did not persist in the postretention period. This suggests there is room for improvement in the long-term impact of the intervention on students’ SSR.