Adapting Computer-Based Assessments of Collaborative Scientific Reasoning in the Kenyan Educational Context: A pilot study

Abstract Kenya’s competency-based curriculum highlights the role of STEM education and the development of skills of the 21st century. However, computer-based assessment (CBA) of these skills has not yet been conducted in Kenya. This study aimed to investigate the applicability of newly developed international computer-based skill assessments for developing scientific inquiry, experimentation, reasoning, argumentation, and collaboration skills in public junior high school students in Kenya ( N = 60). We employed inductive reasoning (IR), deductive reasoning (DR), control of variables (CoV), collaborative skill (CS), and scientific reasoning (SR) to evaluate their contribution to the development of collaborative scientific reasoning (CSR). Instrument reliabilities and construct validities confirmed the general applicability of the tests; however, the internationally widely used Lawson test was shown to have limited applicability. The IR, DR, and CoV were found to be predictive of CSR when measured alone, the overarching model explaining 60% of the variance in CSR; however, the direct predictive role of IR became non-significant. The results reflect the complexity of CSR and the significant limitations of studies that have individually examined the effects of cognitive and/or affective skills. Therefore, future research should adopt a longitudinal design that assesses these skills. Our findings can inform the development of STEM education in Kenya’s national assessment strategy and ensure alignment with its competency-based curriculum.