THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDUCTIVE REASONING AS A FUNCTION OF SELECTED FACTORS

Abstract

In this study, we examine the measurement of inductive reasoning in primary and secondary school students who belong to the Hungarian minority in Slovakia using a Cattel’s Culture Fair Test (CFT). The main objective of our research was to determine the dynamics of inductive reasoning development among primary and secondary school students belonging to the Hungarian minority in Slovakia (in grades 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th and 12th) and to examine the effects of certain background factors. We found that the CFT 20-R differentiates well according to the age groups studied and is suitable for measuring inductive reasoning ability. Based on the results obtained, it appears that inductive reasoning develops continuously until the 10th grade, after which it seems to stagnate. If we consider the type of school attended by the students participating in the study, we can conclude that the most dynamic periods of inductive thinking development occur during periods of transition in the school system: between lower and upper grades, and between elementary school and high school. According to our study, the most effective type of school for the development of inductive reasoning is the eight-year grammar school, while the secondary school system also develops it effectively, but at a lower level. However, in the case of students attending four-year secondary schools, a decline can be observed in this area. Among the background factors, we examined the impact of not only the type of school attended by the students, but also their gender and social-economic status.