Investigating linear and curvilinear relationships between cognitive activation strategies and student achievement in science

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the cognitive activation strategy (CAS) usage of teachers and achievement of students through a multilevel approach with TIMSS 2019 data. The current study considered not only a linear but also a curvilinear form of the relation. The multilevel models were performed for both fifth and eighth grade levels separately. According to the results, there was no linear effect of either general or inquiry-based CAS on the science achievement of students in fifth grade. On the other hand, the curvilinear relation of inquiry-based strategies was significant for eighth-grade students. This means that, even among kids in the same stage of education, the nature of the relationship between CAS and achievement can vary according to the grade.