KOLMETOISTAVUOTIAIDEN NUORTEN KÄSITYKSIÄ LUONNONTIETEELLISESTÄ TUTKIMUKSESTA

VASI (views about the scientific inquiry) questionnaire was applied to a sample of 149 7th grade students. When assessing each aspect of VASI, pupils' views were categorized into one of four categories: informed, mixed, naive, and unclear. According to the diagnostical test, 7th grade students did not possess informed conceptions of NOS in average, while certain questions were better understood. E. g., question #4 which measured the possession of the VASI aspect "Data does not equal evidence" was relatively well understood indicating that Finnish students had good reading ability and logical deduction skills without prior explicit teaching of VASI concepts.