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Students' Conceptions (student + conception)
Selected AbstractsLearning at the nanoscale: The impact of students' use of remote microscopy on concepts of viruses, scale, and microscopyJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 3 2003M. Gail Jones The rapid pace of development is bringing advanced technologies to the World Wide Web (WWW), and, as a result, schools have access to new tools for science investigations. In this exploratory study, we investigated how an educational experience organized around students' use of a WWW-controllable atomic force microscope (AFM) influenced students' understandings of viruses. The context for the study was a weeklong unit on viruses for two high school biology classes which incorporated student use of the WWW controllable AFM. We also investigated how the haptic (involving kinesthetics and touch) experiences afforded by this tool might influence students' knowledge of viruses, microscopy, and nanometer scale. Fifty students from two high school biology classes participated in a series of instructional activities and pre- and postassessments (knowledge test, opinion questionnaire, and interviews). Results showed that students' understandings of microscale, virus morphology, and dimensionality changed as a result of the experiences. Students' conceptions moved from a two-dimensional textbook-like image of a virus to a three-dimensional image of an adenovirus. The results of this preliminary study suggest that the use of the technology as a tool for learning about morphology of materials too small to see may be beneficial. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 40: 303,322, 2003 [source] Korean 4- to 11-year-old student conceptions of heat and temperatureJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 2 2007Seoung-Hey Paik The aim of the present study is to shed light on the conceptions that young students have of heat and temperature, concepts that are both important in school science curricula and closely related to daily life. The subjects of the study were students from a rural district in South Korea and they ranged in age from 4 to 11 years. Interviews were conducted with each student on the basis of questions on temperature, thermal insulation, and heat equilibrium. After calculating the frequency and percentage of student responses and analyzing the rationale for their answers, it was found that younger students tended to view temperature as "size" or a "summation of numbers." This tendency gradually diminished in older students. Most students had alternative conceptions of thermal insulation regardless of age; however, reasoning differed according to age. Younger students displayed a greater tendency to view insulation as a material property, whereas older students showed a greater tendency toward rational heat and temperature conceptions. Most students did not have clear concepts of heat equilibrium regardless of age, but possessed numerous alternative conceptions. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 44: 284,302, 2007 [source] Structural characteristics of university engineering students' conceptions of energy,JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 5 2002Xiufeng Liu This study examined structural characteristics of university engineering students' conceptions of energy elicited through paragraph writing and their relations with categories of their conceptions specific to energy in solution processes identified through interviews. We found that structures of students' conceptions are characterized primarily by characteristic, example-of/type-of, and lead-to types of relations, and these relations correspond with categories of students' conceptions. More specifically, categories of students' conceptions are exclusively related to energy transformation, and students failed to apply the notion of energy conservation demonstrated in structures of their conceptions to explain the temperature change in solution processes. It is concluded that although paragraph writing and interviews solicit different student conceptions, the conceptions identified from the two sources are related and paragraph writing tends to provide a more holistic picture of students' conceptions. This conclusion has clear implications for science curriculum development and instruction. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 39: 423,441, 2002 [source] Blurring Emotional Safety With Physical Safety in AIDS and STD Risk Estimations: The Casual/Regular Partner Distinction,JOURNAL OF APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 12 2000Lisa K. Comer Research on the sexual behavior of young adults has documented a casual/regular partner distinction in terms of condom use and perceived risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). How this population distinguishes between the 2 partner types has not been known, making it impossible to assess the rationality of this strategy. In the present study, college students' conceptions of casual vs. regular partners were explored and used to create 3 sexual partner scenarios: casual, regular with insufficient risk information (regular emotionally safe), and regular with sufficient risk information (regular objectively safe). Participants rated the target partner in terms of emotional safety, AIDS/STD risk, and likelihood of condom use. Results showed participants to be blurring emotional with physical safety; i. e., employing an emotionally based strategy in rating perceived risk. [source] Cognitive perturbation through dynamic modelling: a pedagogical approach to conceptual change in scienceJOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 6 2006S. C. Li Abstract While simulations have widely been used to facilitate conceptual change in learning science, results indicate that significant disparity or gap between students' prior conceptions and scientific conceptions still exists. To bridge the gap, we argue that the applications of computer simulation in science education should be broadened to enable students to model their thoughts and to improve and advance their theories progressively. While computer simulations are often used to offer opportunities for students to explore scientific models, they do not give them the space to explore their own conceptions, and thus cannot effectively address the challenge of changing students' alternative conceptions. Findings from our recent empirical study reveal that, firstly, dynamic modelling using the environment WorldMaker 2000 in conjunction with the use of a cognitive perturbation strategy by the teacher was effective in helping students to migrate from their alternative conceptions towards a more scientifically inclined one; secondly, the pathways of conceptual change across groups were idiosyncratic and diverse. Respecting students' ideas seriously and providing cognitive perturbation at appropriate junctures of the inquiry process are found to be conducive to fostering conceptual change. In this paper, we will report on the details of the pedagogical approach adopted by the teacher and portray how students' conceptions change during the entire process of model building. [source] How and what university students learn through online and face-to-face discussion: conceptions, intentions and approachesJOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 4 2006R. A. Ellis Abstract This paper reports a phenomenographic investigation into students' experiences of learning through discussion , both online and face to face (F2F). The study context was a second-year undergraduate course in psychology for social work in which the teacher had designed discussion tasks to begin in F2F mode and to continue online. A combination of open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews was used to investigate students' conceptions of what they were learning, their intentions and their approaches to learning through discussion. Analysis of the interview and open-ended questionnaire data identified a number of qualitatively different conceptions, intentions and approaches to learning through discussion. Associations were found between what students thought they were learning through discussions, their approaches to learning through discussion and their course grade. Students with a cohesive conception and students adopting a deep approach (to learning through online discussion) got better course grades. There was no significant difference between deep and surface approaches to F2F discussion and course grade. The outcomes of this study have implications for the design of online and F2F discussion tasks and in particular for helping students adopt richer conceptions of what they stand to gain through discussion. [source] Using Qualitative Research Methods to Ascertain Elementary Students' Understandings of Food SafetyJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE EDUCATION, Issue 2 2003C.J. Trexler ABSTRACT: Researchers and educators call for educational programs that teach youth about food safety. In this study, researchers used qualitative research methods (interviews and concept mapping) to ascertain elementary students' understandings of food spoilage and preservation benchmarks based on national science education standards. Constructivist learning theory and its attendant qualitative methods framed the study. Few students understood the causes of spoilage and most were unable to discuss the role of bacteria or germs in meat. Students with an understanding of microorganisms clearly explained methods of preventing spoilage, while students who did not understand the microorganism concept could not. Constructivist research methods were fruitful in unearthing students' conceptions related to food spoilage. This research has implications for university food science faculty members interested in strengthening their teaching practice by focusing on helping students develop conceptual understanding. [source] The effects of Common Knowledge Construction Model sequence of lessons on science achievement and relational conceptual changeJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 1 2010Jazlin Ebenezer Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the Common Knowledge Construction Model (CKCM) lesson sequence, an intervention based both in conceptual change theory and in Phenomenography, a subset of conceptual change theory. A mixed approach was used to investigate whether this model had a significant effect on 7th grade students' science achievement and conceptual change. The Excretion Unit Achievement Test (EUAT) indicated that students (N,=,33) in the experimental group achieved significantly higher scores (p,<,0.001) than students in the control group (N,=,35) taught by traditional teaching methods. Qualitative analysis of students' pre- and post-teaching conceptions of excretion revealed (1) the addition and deletion of ideas from pre- to post-teaching; (2) the change in the number of students within categories of ideas; (3) the replacement of everyday language with scientific labels; and (4) the difference in the complexity of students' responses from pre- to post-teaching. These findings contribute to the literature on teaching that incorporates students' conceptions and conceptual change. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 47: 25,46, 2010 [source] Progression in children's understanding of the matter concept from elementary to high schoolJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 3 2006Xiufeng Liu Adopting a neo-Piagetian conceptual framework and a phenomenographic approach, we identified students' conceptual progression pattern on matter from elementary to high school. We interviewed 54 students from Grade 1 to Grade 10 chemistry on their conceptions of substances (i.e., water, vinegar, and baking soda) and the combining of the substances. We found that progression of students' conceptions on matter from elementary to high school is multifaceted. For any aspect we examined, from spontaneous description of substances to chemical reaction of baking soda with vinegar, there was a unique progression pattern. Different conceptual progression patterns existed for different substances (i.e., water, baking soda, and vinegar) as well. Further, there is no clear conceptual leap between different grade levels in conceptual progression; that is, there is tremendous overlap in conceptions among students of different grades. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 43: 320,347, 2006 [source] Structural characteristics of university engineering students' conceptions of energy,JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 5 2002Xiufeng Liu This study examined structural characteristics of university engineering students' conceptions of energy elicited through paragraph writing and their relations with categories of their conceptions specific to energy in solution processes identified through interviews. We found that structures of students' conceptions are characterized primarily by characteristic, example-of/type-of, and lead-to types of relations, and these relations correspond with categories of students' conceptions. More specifically, categories of students' conceptions are exclusively related to energy transformation, and students failed to apply the notion of energy conservation demonstrated in structures of their conceptions to explain the temperature change in solution processes. It is concluded that although paragraph writing and interviews solicit different student conceptions, the conceptions identified from the two sources are related and paragraph writing tends to provide a more holistic picture of students' conceptions. This conclusion has clear implications for science curriculum development and instruction. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 39: 423,441, 2002 [source] | ||||||||||