SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION ABILITY OF GRADE 7 STUDENTS ON DENSITY ANDFLOATING–SINKING THROUGH THE CLAIM, EVIDENCE, AND REASONING (CER MODEL) FRAMEWORK

Abstract

This study aimed to 1) investigate the level of scientific explanation ability of Grade 7 students on the topic of density and floating–sinking, classified by the components of the Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning (CER) Model, and 2) analyze qualitative patterns of individual students' scientific explanations. This mixed methods research involved 37 Grade 7 students (out of 40 enrolled; 3 were absent on the data collection day) enrolled in a basic science course. The research instruments included 5E inquiry-based lesson plans, student worksheets, and a CER assessment rubric consisting of three components Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning scored on a scale of 0–2. The rubric was validated by two subject-matter experts, and inter-rater reliability was established prior to data analysis. Data were collected from 37 student works and analyzed using content analysis and descriptive statistics, including percentages and mean scores. The results showed that most students demonstrated a good level of scientific explanation ability. The mean scores for Claim and Evidence were 1.57, while Reasoning had a mean score of 1.46, also at a good level. Individual analysis revealed that 26 students performed at a good level, 2 students at a fair level, while 9 students were at a developing level. Qualitative analysis identified two patterns among low-scoring students: those who misobserved experimental results leading to errors across all components, and those who understood the content but lacked the ability to connect scientific principles with evidence. The findings suggest that the CER framework can be used to identify students' strengths and weaknesses in scientific explanations and to support the development of scientific thinking skills.