Assessing scientific thinking: Development and validation of a classroom test battery

Scientific thinking is a fundamental pillar of modern science education. However, ensuring the reliability and validity of various assessment tools is a challenging task. Therefore, this study developed, validated, and optimized a test battery for classroom use that evaluates three key dimensions of scientific thinking, namely scientific reasoning (SR), deductive reasoning (DR), and control of variables (CoV). Reliability and construct validity were determined using Cronbach's alpha and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), respectively. Excellent internal consistency was determined for the revised and optimized versions of the test battery (α = .873 for SR, α = .912 for DR, and α = .767 for CoV). Furthermore, the CFA revealed a good model fit for the three optimized instruments, which was evidence of unidimensionality. This study offers educators, researchers, and policymakers a valuable resource to evaluate and improve scientific thinking in STEM.