written by
Steven T. Kalinowski and Shannon D. Willoughby
This article presents the Formal Reasoning Test (FORT), a multiple-choice test designed by researchers at Montana State University to assess college students' scientific reasoning ability. The test defines scientific reasoning to be equivalent to formal operational reasoning. It contains 20 questions divided evenly among five types of problems: control of variables, hypothesis testing, correlational reasoning, proportional reasoning, and probability. The test development process included the drafting and psychometric analysis of 23 instruments related to formal operational reasoning. These instruments were administered to almost 10,000 students enrolled in introductory science courses at American universities. Questions with high discrimination were identified and assembled into an instrument that was intended to measure the reasoning ability of students across the entire spectrum of abilities in college science courses. The article also designates four types of validity evidence supporting the FORT: (a) The test has a one-dimensional psychometric structure consistent with its design. (b) Test scores in an introductory biology course had an empirical reliability of 0.82. (c) Student interviews confirmed responses to the FORT were accurate indications of student thinking. (d) A regression analysis of student learning in an introductory biology course showed that scores on the FORT predicted how well students learned one of the most challenging concepts in biology, natural selection.
<a href="https://www.compadre.org/portal/items/detail.cfm?ID=15569">Kalinowski, Steven T., and Shannon Willoughby. "Development and validation of a scientific (formal) reasoning test for college students." J. Res. Sci. Teaching. 56, no. 9, (April 9, 2019): 1269-1284.</a>
S. Kalinowski and S. Willoughby, Development and validation of a scientific (formal) reasoning test for college students, J. Res. Sci. Teaching 56 (9), 1269 (2019), <https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21555>.
Kalinowski, S., & Willoughby, S. (2019, April 9). Development and validation of a scientific (formal) reasoning test for college students. J. Res. Sci. Teaching, 56(9), 1269-1284. Retrieved April 3, 2025, from https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21555
Kalinowski, Steven T., and Shannon Willoughby. "Development and validation of a scientific (formal) reasoning test for college students." J. Res. Sci. Teaching. 56, no. 9, (April 9, 2019): 1269-1284, https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21555 (accessed 3 April 2025).
Kalinowski, Steven T., and Shannon Willoughby. "Development and validation of a scientific (formal) reasoning test for college students." J. Res. Sci. Teaching 56.9 (2019): 1269-1284. 3 Apr. 2025 <https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21555>.
@article{
Author = "Steven T. Kalinowski and Shannon Willoughby",
Title = {Development and validation of a scientific (formal) reasoning test for college students},
Journal = {J. Res. Sci. Teaching},
Volume = {56},
Number = {9},
Pages = {1269-1284},
Month = {April},
Year = {2019}
}
%A Steven T. Kalinowski %A Shannon Willoughby %T Development and validation of a scientific (formal) reasoning test for college students %J J. Res. Sci. Teaching %V 56 %N 9 %D April 9, 2019 %P 1269-1284 %U https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21555 %O application/pdf
%0 Journal Article %A Kalinowski, Steven T. %A Willoughby, Shannon %D April 9, 2019 %T Development and validation of a scientific (formal) reasoning test for college students %J J. Res. Sci. Teaching %V 56 %N 9 %P 1269-1284 %8 April 9, 2019 %U https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.21555
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