Types of Reasoning in Framing Based Plant Anatomy and It Relation to Spatial Thinking

Abstract

A study about the spatial framing in plant anatomy course was conducted to investigate the role of framing in improving student reasoning in understanding the structure and function of plant and its relation to spatial thinking. A number of biology students (n=35) at State University in South Sumatra, Indonesia was involved as participants in this study. Data was collected using reasoning test based on Marzano framework and spatial thinking instrument test that had been developed and based on expert judgment. Data obtained was processed by calculating the average and percentage (%) on each indicator. Research findings show that there was improvement in reasoning and spatial thinking of students after having experience through framing based learning with an average N-gain 51.9 and 46.6 (moderate category). Learning of framing based plant anatomy course improved the students reasoning at each indicator. Students reasoning before and after learning based framing instruction are: (1) comparing (41.1 and 87.4); (2) classifying (14.7 and 77.1); (3) inducing (28.6 and 64.6); (4) deducing (15.7 and 55.7); (5) analyzing error (21.9 and 40.0); (6) constructing support (33.3 and 54.3); (7) abstracting (31.4 and 34.3); and (8) analyzing perspective (38.3 and 47.1). Analysis of the relationship between reasoning related concepts of plant anatomy and spatial thinking showed r=0.454 (p=0.00∗>0.01) (significant correlation). Further it was found that students' spatial thinking including generating a representation (i); maintaining a representations in working memory (ii); scanning the representation (iii); and transforming of representation (iv) are factors that improved student reasoning.