ABSTRACT

             This study aimed to investigate Level of scientific thinking skills used by students of the third secondary grade in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This study tried to answer some question such as: what is the level of scientific thinking skills used by students of the third secondary grade in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia compared with the criteria? To answer this question, an instrument was prepared to measure level of scientific thinking skills, it was consisting of (48) multiple choice question which include various scientific thinking skills. The instrument reliability was measured by Kronbach α which was (0.82).The validity of the instrument content was ensured by specialized committee and matrix coefficient correlation between questions was found.

            Study sample consisted of (362) female and male students in the academic year1424/1425 higri, corresponding with 2003/2004, studying in schools under Education Administration of Afif District.  The instrument was applied on the study sample, data were collected and analyzed statistically, descriptively and deductively, following results were explored:

     1.        Ratio of student performance on scientific thinking skills test reached (%51.6) which according to statistics is less than (α=0.05) from criteria indicating that students do not acquire scientific thinking skills.

     2.       The effect of gender for the favor of male according to statistics (α =0.05). Although females are more superior in skills of communications, predicting, excluding of variables and interpretation of data.

     3.       The academic acquisition is connected with student acquisition of scientific thinking skills, according to statistics (α =0.05). Although some cases did not follow this relationship and did not effect the final result.

     4.       Effect of residence location on students’ performance in scientific thinking skills instrument. Students living in cities are doing better than student living in villages. Although students living in village are superior in deductive skills, testing assumptions and excluding of variables.

          The Study recommend to draw attention of officials, who are responsible about planning and preparing curriculum, to the importance of adopting a strategy developing thinking skills through academic content that achieve comprehensive view about science as material and methodology and achieve goals of teaching science.