bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The concept map as a tool for the collaborative construction of knowledge: A microanalysis of high school physics students
Authors: Roth Wolff‐Michael , Roychoudhury Anita
Published: October 2006

Although concept mapping has been shown to help students in meaningful learning, particularly when done as a collaborative activity, little has been done to understand the microprocesses during the activity itself. However, in order to be able to improve the activity as a teaching and learning heuristic, we have to know more about the microprocesses that constitute concept mapping as process and as product. This study was designed to investigate concept mapping as a means of assessing the quality of student understanding from two perspectives: the analysis of the process of constructing meaning and the analysis of the products of this cognitive activity. An interpretive research methodology was adopted for the construction of meaning from the data. Twenty‐nine students from two sections of a senior level high school physics course participated in the study. The data sources included videotapes, their transcripts, and all concept maps produced. Students worked in collaborative groups during all of the concept mapping sessions. Individual concept mapping was assessed twice, once delayed by a week, another time delayed by 6 weeks. To assess what happened to the cognitive achievement as the context of concept mapping changed from collaborative to individual activity, we used a tracer. A tracer is some bit of knowledge, procedure, or action that allows the researcher to follow a task through various settings. The concept maps as products differed in their hierarchical organization, the number of links, and the benefit to the individual students. Three major processes emerged, which students used to arrive at suitable propositions. Students mediated propositions verbally and nonverbally, they took adversarial positions and appealed to authority, and they formed temporary alliances based on presumed expertise. Both product and process hold promise but also show some limitations. On the positive side, concept mapping led to sustained discourse on the topic and improved the declarative knowledge of several students both in terms of the hierarchical organization and “local” configuration of the concepts. In contrast, concept mapping also let unintended and scientifically incorrect notions become ingrained and go unchallenged. On the basis of the outcomes of our study we formulated specific recommendations for the use of concept maps in the classroom. These include continued instruction in establishing proper hierarchies and cross‐links to increase the quality of the concept maps' structure and the number of high quality links. Then, instruction should facilitate students' attempts to reflect on the nature of the relationships expressed in their maps. And finally, specific roles could be assigned to individual students to improve the overall quality of the process of constructing the map and, thus, of the final product.
Subdivision processes in mathematics and science
Authors: Stavy Ruth , Tirosh Dina
Published: October 2006

In the course of a research project now in progress, three successive division problems were presented to students in Grades 7–12. The first problem concerned a geometrical line segment, while the other two dealt with material substances (copper wire and water). All three problems involved the same process: successive division. Two of the problems (line segment and copper wire) were also figurally similar. Our data indicate that the similarity in the process had a profound effect on students' responses. The effect of the similarity in process suggests that the repeated process of division has a coercive effect, imposing itself on students' responses and encouraging then to view successive division processes as finite or infinite regardless of the content of the problem.

It is possible to trace out, step by step, a more or less parallel process of development for the ideas of points and continuity and those dealing with atoms and physical objects in the child's conception of the ideal world. The only difference between these two processes is that to the child's way of thinking physical points or atoms still possess surface and volume, whereas mathematical points tend to lose all extension (though during the stages of development which concerns us here, this remains only a tendency.) (Piaget & Inhelder, 1948, pp. 126).

Our first naive impression of nature and matter is that of continuity. Be it a piece of matter or a volume of liquid we invariably conceive it as divisible into infinity, and even so small a part of it appears to us to possess the same properties as the whole. (Hilbert, 1925, pp. 162).
Does physics instruction foster university students' cognitive processes?: A descriptive study of teacher activities
Authors: Ferguson‐Hessler Monica G. M. , De Jong Ton
Published: October 2006

This study aims at giving a systematic description of the cognitive activities involved in teaching physics. Such a description of instruction in physics requires a basis in two models, that is, the cognitive activities involved in learning physics and the knowledge base that is the foundation of expertise in that subject. These models have been provided by earlier research. The model of instruction distinguishes three main categories of instruction process: presenting new information, integrating (i.e., bringing structure into) new knowledge, and connecting elements of new knowledge to prior knowledge. Each of the main categories has been divided into a number of specific instruction processes. Hereby any limited and specific cognitive teacher activity can be described along the two dimensions of process and type of knowledge. The model was validated by application to lectures and problem‐solving classes of first year university courses. These were recorded and analyzed as to instruction process and type of knowledge. Results indicate that teachers are indeed involved in the various types of instruction processes defined. The importance of this study lies in the creation of a terminology that makes it possible to discuss instruction in an explicit and specific way.
Student use of test‐wiseness strategies in solving multiple‐choice chemistry examinations
Authors: Towns Marcy Hamby , Robinson William R.
Published: October 2006

Test‐wiseness strategies used by 11 general chemistry students as they answered a 15‐item multiple‐choice examination were investigated using a think‐aloud technique. A coding scheme based on a published classification of test‐wiseness strategies was developed and transcripts were coded using the scheme. Finally, the frequency of each type of strategy that appeared was tabulated. The most common strategies were those that did not compromise the validity of the examination: error avoidance, elimination of incorrect responses, checking responses, and optimal time management. A less common set of strategies helped students gain points beyond those for specific content knowledge. These include deductive reasoning strategies such as similar options, opposing options, absurd options, and an umbrella term. This evidence further supports the idea that test‐wiseness strategies are independent of subject area. Excerpts from the transcripts illustrate the strategies employed and support the idea that students be required to write justifications for responses to multiple‐choice items (Tamir, 1990).
Secondary science teachers' knowledge base when teaching science courses in and out of their area of certification
Authors: Sanders Linda R. , Borko Hilda , Lockard J. David
Published: October 2006

This study examined the similarities and differences in experienced secondary science teachers' planning, teaching, and reflecting on their teaching, when teaching in their science area of certification and when teaching in another science area. The study also focused on the influence of these teachers' content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge on their planning, teaching, and reflecting. Experienced teachers were observed and interviewed while teaching classes in their science area of certification, and in another science area they were teaching for the first or second time. Both similarities and differences in teaching were found in the two areas for all three teachers. For example, their planning and postlesson reflections were similar in both areas. In the interactive phase of teaching more differences were observed. Many aspects of their teaching resembled that of expert teachers in other studies. In the unfamiliar science area, the teachers sometimes acted like novice teachers. However, they were able to draw upon their pedagogical knowledge to provide a framework for their teaching in both science areas. Their wealth of pedagogical knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge for general science topics, seemed to sustain them in whatever content they were teaching. Recommendations for further study and implications for teacher education are discussed.
“progressive problemshifts” between different research programs in science education: A lakatosian perspective
Authors: Niaz Mansoor
Published: October 2006

Given the importance of epistemology and philosophy of science, the Lakatos (1970) methodology is particularly suited to evaluate competing research programs in science education. This article has two objectives: (a) to evaluate critically the interpretations of Gilbert and Swift (1985) and Rowell and Dawson (1989), and (b) to postulate a progressive problemshift between Piaget's epistemic subject and Pascual‐Leone's metasubject. Regarding the Gilbert and Swift interpretation, it is concluded that the alternative conceptions movement at its present stage of development cannot explain the previous success of its rival (Piagetian school) nor supersede it by a further display of heuristic power as required by Lakatos. If we accept the Rowell and Dawson thesis it would amount to the postulation of Piagetian and integrated (Piagetian and schema) theories as rival research programs. It appears that the Rowell and Dawson approach would enrich Piagetian theory with descriptive content rather than explanatory constructs, and thus would not lead to a progressive problemshift. It is concluded that Pascual‐Leone's theory extends Piaget's negative heuristic by introducing antecedent variables, and at the same time enriches the positive heuristic by introducing metasubjective task analysis, which leads to a progressive problemshift.
Do middle school life science textbooks provide a balance of scientific literacy themes?
Authors: Chiappetta Eugene L. , Sethna Godrej H. , Fillman David A.
Published: October 2006

Four themes of scientific literacy have been synthesized to analyze science textbooks for this purpose: (a) science as a body of knowledge, (b) science as a way of investigating, (c) science as a way of thinking, and (d) the interaction among science, technology, and society (STS). The intercoder agreement between two researchers who coded the units of analysis for the four themes was high. The life science textbooks examined in this study seem to stress two aspects of scientific literacy—science as a body of knowledge and science as a way of investigating. These textbooks devote practically no text to science as a way of thinking. Very little text is devoted to the interaction of science, technology, and society. There was at least one chapter in each textbook that addressed the nature of science and its relationship to life science. Most of the analyzed textbooks present the stereotypical steps of the scientific method and do not provide a balance of scientific literacy themes.
Piaget: Only the Galileo of cognitive development? Comment on Niaz and Lawson on genetic epistemology
Authors: Shayer Michael
Published: October 2006

Niaz argued for the “epistemic subject” as an “ideal knower,” with never a mention of logic—only of science understanding. Lawson identifies the epistemic subject as “pure logical reasoner”—a “straw man.” Net result: no meeting of minds, and little light shown on Piaget. Both fail to present the constructivist Piaget who, as far as he went, did resolve the contextual knowledge/abstract reasoning dilemma.
The presentation of gas properties in chemistry textbooks and as reported by science teachers
Authors: De Berg Kevin C. , Treagust David F.
Published: October 2006

The presentation of gas properties in terms of the qualitative–quantitative mode and gas law sequence is examined by means of an analysis of 14 chemistry textbooks used in Australian secondary schools and of questionnaires on teaching approaches completed by 104 secondary science teachers. The findings indicate that current pedagogic practice involves minimal use of the qualitative relationships of the gas laws and moderate use of a simple‐to‐complex sequence. Given the conceptual complexity of the gas laws, the authors support a presentation approach with increased use of qualitative exercises and, in the initial stage at least, the use of a complex‐to‐simple model where the interrelationships among the gas laws are easier to establish.
Translation of representations of the structure of matter and its relationship to reasoning, gender, spatial reasoning, and specific prior knowledge
Authors: Keig Patricia F. , Rubba Peter A.
Published: October 2006

The purpose of this study was to characterize high school chemistry students' ability to make translations between three representations of the structure of matter, and to determine the degree to which the students' ability to make these translations is related to reasoning ability, spatial reasoning ability, gender, and specific knowledge of the representations. Translation between formula, electron configuration, and ball‐and‐stick model representations of matter were chosen for study because of their promise for adding to knowledge of students' conceptual ecology, and because they may be of practical use for teaching and evaluation in chemistry classrooms. Representations have the characteristic that they embed selected details of the relevant concept or principle, but permit other details to fade. As one example, the chemical formula for water, H2O, explicitly conveys the identity of the constituent elements and their ratio, but does not explicitly convey the bond angle or whether the bonds are single or double. On the other hand, the ball‐and‐stick model of water explicitly conveys the bond angle and bond orders, but does not emphasize the ratio of the elements. Translation between representations is an information processing task, requiring understanding of the underlying concept to the extent that the individual can interpret the information provided by the initial representation and infer the details required to construct the target representation. In this study, the use of the translations of representations as an indicator of understanding of chemical concepts is developed in terms of (a) its relationship to four variables associated with achievement in chemistry, (b) specific representation error types, and (c) its utility in revealing details of students' conceptions and concept formation. Translation of representation performance was measured by administering, audio recording, transcribing, and scoring individual, task‐based, think‐aloud interviews. The associated interview schedule was entitled Translation of Representations—Structure of Matter [TORSOM]. Reasoning ability was measured by the Group Assessment of Logical Thinking—short form (GALT‐s), spatial reasoning ability by the spatial reasoning subtest of the Differential Abilities Test (SRDAT), and prior knowledge of the representations by a test developed by the first researcher (Knowledge of Representations—Structure of Matter). When each of the hypothetical correlates were regressed on TORSOM individually, results indicated the KORSOM and GALT‐s but not gender or SRDAT were statistically significant (alpha = .05). The two‐predictor model accounts for 28% of the variance in the TORSOM scores. Representation error types are described and exemplified.
College students' conceptualizations of nature: An interpretive world view analysis
Authors: Cobern William W.
Published: October 2006

The research reported in this article addressed the fundamental question, What do students believe about the nature of the world around them? The research specifically addressed college students' fundamental beliefs about nature, that is, the natural world. Data were collected via semistructured interviews involving a set of elicitation devices used to encourage students to talk about the natural world. The analysis of interview transcripts yielded inferences about student fundamental beliefs based on logicostructural world view theory. These beliefs are presented in the form of a concept map and characterized by a set of bipolar descriptive codes: naturalism and religion; chaos and order; mystery and knowledge; function and purpose; mundane and special; science/no science. Perhaps the most intriguing observation of the study was science's apparent lack of influence on students' beliefs about nature even though these students had been successful in college level science courses.
A flow‐map method of representing cognitive structure based on respondents' narrative using science content
Authors: Anderson O. Roger , Demetrius Olive J.
Published: October 2006

Increasing interest in science education research has focused on ways of representing cognitive structure in graphical and quantitative terms. A method is presented for displaying the sequential and multirelational ideation of scientific narrative elicited from respondents. The flow map provides a figural representation of the flow of information, the points in the flow where multirelational and recurrent linkages are made, and the time required to retrieve and express the information at major intervals in the sequence and in total. In keeping with constructivist models of information analysis, the elicitation of responses requires minimal intervention by the interviewer, and flow‐map representation requires low inference for its construction, providing a convenient diagram of the sequential and multirelational thought patterns expressed by the respondent. The method is illustrated by analyzing interviews from students varying in academic achievement under two interview conditions that varied in emphasis on recall of multiple relationships. The illustrative data show that students of increasing academic ability produce flow maps of more complex patterns with more cross‐relational linkages. These kinds of linkages, on the whole, increase with increased emphasis in the interview on recall of relationships.
The effects of an interactive dissection simulation on the performance and achievement of high school biology students
Authors: Kinzie Mable B. , Strauss Richard , Foss Jean
Published: October 2006

Educators, administrators, and students are reevaluating the value of animal dissection in the classroom and are taking a careful look at instructional alternatives. This research is an attempt to examine the performance, achievement, and attitudinal effects of a dissection alternative, an interactive videodiscbased (IVD) simulation, in two ways: as a substitute for dissection and as a preparatory tool used prior to dissection. Sixty‐one high school students enrolled in three general‐ability high school biology classes participated in this research over a 4‐day period. On the substitution issue, findings suggest that the IVD simulation was at least as effective as actual dissection in promoting student learning of frog anatomy and dissection procedures. On the preparation issue, it was found that students using the IVD simulation as a preparation performed a subsequent dissection more effectively than students receiving no preparation and more effectively than students viewing a videotape as preparation. Students using the IVD simulation as preparation also learned more about frog anatomy and dissection procedures than those who dissected without preparation. Students in all groups evidenced little change in attitudes toward dissection. All students reported a significant gain in dissection self‐efficacy, but no between‐group differences were found. Findings are discussed relative to their implications for educational practice and future research.
A study of culturally syntonic variables in the bilingual/bicultural science classroom
Authors: Barba Robertta H.
Published: October 2006

The purpose of this study was to conduct a needs assessment of bilingual/bicultural elementary science classrooms in order to determine if the current instructional environment addresses the educational needs of Hispanic/Latino children. This study examined 57 randomly selected elementary bilingual/bicultural science classrooms in a large metropolitan area of the southwestern United States in terms of culturally syntonic variables (i.e., culture‐of‐origin beliefs and/or practices that impact the teaching/learning process). Findings from this study indicate that Hispanic/Latino children are receiving science instruction: (a) with culturally asyntonic printed materials, teaching strategies, and supplementary materials, (b) in classrooms that do not use the child's native language, familia learning groups, peer tutoring, or manipulative materials, and (c) with oral and verbal instruction that lack culturally syntonic role models, examples, analogies, and elaborations. Findings from this study imply that changes are needed in pre‐service and in‐service teacher training, in science textbook formats, and in the scope and focus of elementary school bilingual/bicultural science curriculum and instructional strategies.
Effect of cooperative learning strategies on student verbal interactions and achievement during conceptual change instruction in 10th grade general science
Authors: Lonning Robert A.
Published: October 2006

This study evaluated the effects of cooperative learning on students' verbal interaction patterns and achievement in a conceptual change instructional model in secondary science. Current conceptual change instructional models recognize the importance of student–student verbal interactions, but lack specific strategies to encourage these interactions. Cooperative learning may provide the necessary strategies. Two sections of low‐ability 10th‐grade students were designated the experimental and control groups. Students in both sections received identical content instruction on the particle model of matter using conceptual change teaching strategies. Students worked in teacher‐assigned small groups on in‐class assignments. The experimental section used cooperative learning strategies involving instruction in collaborative skills and group evaluation of assignments. The control section received no collaborative skills training and students were evaluated individually on group work. Gains on achievement were assessed using pre‐ and posttreatment administrations of an investigator‐designed short‐answer essay test. The assessment strategies used in this study represent an attempt to measure conceptual change. Achievement was related to students' ability to correctly use appropriate scientific explanations of events and phenomena and to discard use of naive conceptions. Verbal interaction patterns of students working in groups were recorded on videotape and analyzed using an investigator‐designed verbal interaction scheme. The targeted verbalizations used in the interaction scheme were derived from the social learning theories of Piaget and Vygotsky. It was found that students using cooperative learning strategies showed greater achievement gains as defined above and made greater use of specific verbal patterns believed to be related to increased learning. The results of the study demonstrated that cooperative learning strategies enhance conceptual change instruction. More research is needed to identify the specific variables mediating the effects of cooperative learning strategies on conceptual change learning. The methods employed in this study may provide some of the tools for this research.
Alternative assessment of high school laboratory skills
Authors: Doran Rodney L. , Boorman Joan , Chan Fred , Hejaily Nicholas
Published: October 2006

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate instruments that will assess the laboratory skills of students completing high school science courses. In each of the science areas (biology, chemistry, and physics), tests were developed around six laboratory tasks. Each test used a two‐part format with a total time of 80 minutes. Students had to plan an investigation, collect and organize appropriate data, and formulate conclusions based on calculations and graphs. A different test was developed for 12th‐grade students not enrolled in a science course. This test consisted of a series of stations where students conducted a short activity that was presented to them. Over 1000 students from 32 Ohio schools formed the sample for this study. Data are presented by skill and by task. In addition, analysis for gender and school effects is included.
Physics students' understanding of relative speed: A phenomenographic study
Authors: Walsh E. , Dall'Alba G. , Bowden J. , Martin E. , Marton F. , Masters G. , Ramsden P. , Stephanou A.
Published: October 2006

It is important that students of physics develop both quantitative and qualitative understanding of physical concepts and principles. Although accuracy and reliability in solving quantitative problems is necessary, a qualitative understanding is required in applying concepts and principles to new problems and in real‐life situations. If students are not able to understand what underlies quantitative problem‐solving procedures nor interpret the solution in physical terms, it is questionable whether they have developed an adequate understanding of physics. The research reported here is part of a larger phenomenographic study that is concerned with the assessment of physics students' understanding of some basic concepts and principles in kinematics. In this article students' understanding of the concept of relative speed is described. A variety of ways of understanding relative speed and of viewing a problem that dealt with this concept were uncovered. The results are used to suggest ways for teachers to proceed in assisting students to enhance their understanding of this concept. The teaching principles outlined concern both teaching relative speed, in particular, and teaching scientific concepts and principles, more generally.
Understanding the generative capacity of analogies as a tool for explanation
Authors: David Wong E.
Published: October 2006

Psychological studies have typically portrayed analogical reasoning as a process of schema transfer from a familiar domain of understanding to a problem situation. These studies have usually examined analogical reasoning in contexts where (a) individuals possess or have been provided with appropriate, problem‐specific schema, (b) the nature of the problem and/or solution is fairly well defined, and (c) ideal analogies are provided or suggested by an outside source. This study examines analogical reasoning in contexts where understanding is generated from loosely organized, incomplete prior knowledge rather than transferred from a well‐structured domain of understanding. In addition, participants were asked to create, apply, and modify their own analogies—as opposed to applying a given analogy—as a heuristic for constructing, evaluating, and modifying their explanations for a particular scientific phenomena. The results provide empirical support for the generative properties of analogies; that is, analogies can stimulate new inferences and insight. Furthermore, under specific conditions, individuals can productively harness the generative capacity of their own analogies to advance their conceptual understanding of scientific phenomena.
Preconceptions and relations used by children in the construction of food chains
Authors: Gallegos Leticia , Jerezano Maria E. , Flores Fernando
Published: October 2006

This study shows two aspects: the predator–prey relations and the preconceptions held by children (9–10 years old) on the construction of food chains. The subjects of the study were 506 fourth‐, fifth‐, and sixth‐grade children from the Mexican education curriculum. The conclusions are based on a single application of an instrument after a lecture in the classroom. The instrument consists of three tasks. The outcome showed that the classification of herbivorous and carnivorous is based in children's preconceptions of size and ferocity. These preconceptions guide the children's selection of the higher‐level predator in the construction of a food chain. Another element used by children is the predator‐prey relation in the construction of a food chain. The results shed light on the difficulties students have at higher education levels in the resolution of food webs and the relationships with ecosystems.
From field science to classroom science: A case study of constrained emergence in a second‐career science teacher
Authors: Powell Richard
Published: October 2006

This study explored how the school classroom context influenced the expression of one prospective science teachers' beliefs about science and science teaching. Using a single case study design, the article presents a case report of Dan, a 31‐year‐old scientist who decided to become a science teacher after six years as a field scientist with an international science corporation. Personal construct theory and experientialism provided the theoretical frameworks for data collection and analysis. Multiple sources of data were gathered to ensure triangulation. Data sources included field notes made during observations of Dan's student teaching, transcripts from formal and informal interviews with Dan, and document analysis from teaching materials gathered throughout student teaching. Using the constant comparative method of data analysis, four interrelated categories of Dan's student teaching experience were generated: beliefs about teaching science, constrained teaching and instructional conflict, science beliefs and classroom practice, and anticipations of a new beginning. Implications for science education and for teacher development are offered.
An investigation of the relationship between logical thinking structures and the ability to construct and interpret line graphs
Authors: Berg Craig A. , Phillips Darrell G.
Published: October 2006

This study investigates the relationship between logical thinking structures and the ability to construct and interpret line graphs. Seventy‐two subjects in 7th, 9th, and 11th grades were administered individual Piagetian tasks to assess five specific mental structures: (Euclidean spatial structures) (a) Placement and Displacement of Objects (maintaining horizontal and vertical reference frames) and (b) One–One Multiplication of Placement and Displacement Relations (coordinate systems); (c) Multiplicative Measurement; (d) Multiplicative Seriation; and (e) Proportional Reasoning. Graphing abilities were assessed by having the subjects construct and interpret numerous graphs of varying content and difficulty. To minimize the researcher's guesses about interpretation, each subject's answers and reasons were subsequently explored during a clinical interview. The results indicate significant relationships of logical thinking to graphing ability. Multiplicative seriation, multiplicative measurement, and Euclidean spatial structures positively influenced graphing abilities. Subjects who showed evidence of proportional reasoning did significantly better on many graphing situations including choosing the part of the graph with the greatest “rate of change.” Locating points on a graph without a grid was significantly related to horizontal/vertical frames of reference. Students who did not possess the logical thinking structures were more likely to be dependent upon, and influenced by, perceptual cues and less able to interpret or construct graphs correctly.
Native american related materials in elementary science instruction
Authors: Matthews Catherine E. , Smith Walter S.
Published: October 2006

The low achievement of Native American students, as measured by standardized tests, results from a number of factors, including the lack of cultural relevance of curriculum materials used in their instruction. Using a pretest–posttest control group design, Native American students in Bureau of Indian Affairs schools in Grades 4–8 who were taught science using culturally relevant materials achieved significantly higher and displayed a significantly more positive attitude toward Native Americans and science than comparable students who were taught science without the culturally relevant materials. It is suggested that when educators of Native Americans teach science, they should use materials that incorporate frequent reference to Native Americans and science.
Perceptions of coordinators of college freshman chemistry regarding selected goals and outcomes of high school chemistry
Authors: Shumba Overson , Glass Lynn W.
Published: October 2006

Several studies have shown that high school science teachers base their teaching on what professors of college freshman science expect, and that, in some instances, advanced high school courses are needlessly similar to college freshman courses. In order to gain insight of college science professors' expectations and perceptions on selected goals and outcomes of science education, a survey instrument was developed and mailed to 123 heads/coordinators of freshman chemistry in U.S. state and land grant colleges and universities that offer a graduate degree program in chemistry. The results demonstrated that although the coordinators were positive about many science education goals and outcomes they did not value aspects related to societal issues, and no differences among them existed when the results were analyzed according to demographic subgroups such as age and teaching experience. They perceived high school graduates as possessing inadequate skills and perceived measures to improve precollege science education requiring collaboration of precollege and college faculty positively. The implications for science education were that college chemistry professors place values different from those of science educators on some pertinent goals and outcomes of science teaching, a situation that is not helpful to reforming precollege science education.
Comparative study of the pedagogical content knowledge of experienced and novice chemical demonstrators
Authors: Clermont Christian P. , Borko Hilda , Krajcik Joseph S.
Published: October 2006

This study examined the pedagogical content knowledge of experienced and novice chemical demonstrators. It specifically delineates the nature of the declarative knowledge associated with science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge. Science teachers who (1) teach abstract concepts in chemistry, (2) have a strong interest in using demonstrations as a science teaching strategy, and (3) have high and low levels of experience conducting chemical demonstrations participated in the study. Clinical interviews were used to probe teachers' pedagogical content knowledge. The findings suggest that the experienced chemical demonstrators possess a greater representational and adaptational repertoire for teaching fundamental concepts in chemistry than novices. They also appeared to be more cognizant of the complexity of chemical demonstrations, how these complexities may interfere with learning, and how simplified variations of chemical demonstrations can promote concept learning. The implications for teacher education programs are discussed.
Children's observations, ideas, and the development of classroom theories about light
Authors: Brickhouse Nancy W.
Published: October 2006

The purpose of this study was to examine the interaction between children's observations of light and shadows and their developing theories in the context of a series of lessons in a third‐grade classroom. Detailed analysis of videotapes of the children's discussions of their investigations into light and shadows led to the finding that the children's observations of light led to the development of a limited theory about light that was largely useful in explaining classroom investigations. However, this theory of light was less helpful in helping them understanding shadow phenomena and was too limited to explain out‐of‐classroom observations of light and shadows.
Decreasing course content improves student comprehension of science and attitudes towards science in freshman biology
Authors: Sundberg Marshall D. , Dini Michael L. , Li Elizabeth
Published: October 2006

This study demonstrates a small, but significant, difference in prior understanding of basic biological concepts between students enrolled in majors' versus nonmajors' introductory biology courses. By the end of their respective courses, nonmajors demonstrated greater improvement in posttest scores than did majors. Furthermore, although initially students in the major course had a significantly more positive attitude towards science, especially in terms of personal comfort with science, by the end of the course this difference disappears. Following a semester of instruction, the attitudes of nonmajors generally improved, but student attitudes in the majors' classes declined in nearly all categories. We demonstrate a significant instructor effect in these results.
The accommodation of science pedagogical knowledge: The application of conceptual change constructs to teacher education
Authors: Stofflett René T.
Published: October 2006

The purposes of this study were to (a) determine whether the conditions of the accommodation of a science conception (IPDF) could be applied to pedagogical conceptions of science, and (b) using this application, determine whether a group of elementary teacher candidates in a conceptual change methods course accommodated their didactic preconceptions of science teaching. This research was based on the assumption that, for teachers to learn to teach for conceptual change, they must undergo a process of pedagogical conceptual change themselves. The teacher candidates in this study were interviewed and observed teaching. Their lesson plans and reflective papers were analyzed. The course was also videotaped to provide contextual descriptions. The teacher candidates, as expected, held primarily didactic pedagogical conceptions and were resistant to the conceptual change strategies. However, at posttest they found the new strategies to be intelligible, plausible, and fruitful. They also expressed implicit dissatisfaction with their preexisting views. Cooperating teachers had significant influence in the development of both plausibility and fruitfulness. Recommendations for improving the use of the conceptual change constructs in future teacher education research are made.
Relationship between ability‐paired interactions and the development of fifth graders' concepts of balance
Authors: Carter Glenda , Jones M. Gail
Published: October 2006

This study describes the effects of ability‐paired student interactions on achievement as fifth graders (10‐year‐olds) worked on laboratory activities relating to balance. Achievement gains were assessed (n = 83) by analysis of pretest–posttest differences on the lever concept test. Audio recordings and field notes (n = 30) were analyzed for the following laboratory behaviors: number of words spoken, tinkering, block moving, turns speaking, incidence of helping and distracting behavior. Results revealed that: (1) low‐ability student achievement is greater when students are paired with high‐ability partners; (2) low‐ability students speak more words, exhibit less distracting behavior, and move blocks on the lever less when they are paired with a partner of high ability; (3) high‐ability students speak more words, take more turns speaking, and exhibit more helping behaviors when they are paired with low‐ability students rather than with other high ability students; and (4) there are no achievement differences for high‐ability students regardless of the ability level of their partner. These findings suggest that heterogeneous grouping of students in science can be beneficial to low‐ability students partnered with high‐ability students, without being detrimental to the high‐ability partners.
Reading and writing to learn science: Achieving scientific literacy
Authors: Glynn Shawn M. , Muth K. Denise
Published: October 2006

A key step in helping students to achieve scientific literacy is to ensure that each school's curriculum supports students' efforts to learn science meaningfully. Educational researchers play a vital role in this step by providing teachers, teacher educators, administrators, and policy makers with information about the creation of a curriculum that supports scientific literacy. In a scientific literacy curriculum, reading and writing can serve as dynamic vehicles for learning science meaningfully. The task of educational researchers is to show how reading and writing can be used most effectively to support science learning. Much of what is done now in schools is based on teacher intuition—good intuition—but intuition nonetheless. What is needed is school‐based research to validate and build upon these intuitions. This article is intended to stimulate research on reading and writing to learn science.
Influence of levels of information as presented by different technologies on students' understanding of acid, base, and ph concepts
Authors: Nakhleh Mary B. , Krajcik Joseph S.
Published: October 2006

We investigated how different levels of information presented by various technologies affected secondary students' understanding of acid, base, and pH concepts. Secondary students who were selected for the study had just completed their study of acid–base chemistry. No attempt was made to provide further instruction. We analyzed changes in the understanding of individual students by constructing concept maps from the propositions that the students used in interviews conducted before and after a series of acid–base titrations. After the initial interview, students were divided into three groups. Within each group, students individually performed the same set of titrations using different technologies: chemical indicators, pH meters, and microcomputer‐based laboratories (MBL). After the titrations were completed, all students were interviewed again. We found that students using MBL exhibited a larger positive shift in their concept map scores, which indicates a greater differentiation and integration of their knowledge of acids and bases. The chemical indicator students exhibited a more moderate positive shift in their concept map scores, and the pH meter students exhibited a smaller positive shift. We also found that the MBL students constructed more inappropriate links in their concept maps than the chemical indicator or pH meter students. However, we speculate that this increased number of inappropriate links indicates a high level of involvement with the technology. We therefore argue that the level of information offered by the technology affected students' understanding of the chemical concepts.
Network representations of knowledge about chemical equilibrium: Variations with achievement
Authors: Wilson Janice M.
Published: October 2006

This study examined variation in the organization of domain‐specific knowledge by 50 Year‐12 chemistry students and 4 chemistry teachers. The study used nonmetric multidimensional scaling (MDS) and the Pathfinder network‐generating algorithm to investigate individual and group differences in student concepts maps about chemical equilibrium. MDS was used to represent the individual maps in two‐dimensional space, based on the presence or absence of paired propositional links. The resulting separation between maps reflected degree of hierarchical structure, but also reflected independent measures of student achievement. Pathfinder was then used to produce semantic networks from pooled data from high and low achievement groups using proximity matrices derived from the frequencies of paired concepts. The network constructed from maps of higher achievers (coherence measure = 0.18, linked pairs = 294, and number of subjects = 32) showed greater coherence, more concordance in specific paired links, more important specific conceptual relationships, and greater hierarchical organization than did the network constructed from maps of lower achievers (coherence measure = 0.12, linked pairs = 552, and number of subjects = 22). These differences are interpreted in terms of qualitative variation in knowledge organization by two groups of individuals with different levels of relative expertise (as reflected in achievement scores) concerning the topic of chemical equilibrium. The results suggest that the technique of transforming paired links in concept maps into proximity matrices for input to multivariate analyses provides a suitable methodology for comparing and documenting changes in the organization and structure of conceptual knowledge within and between individual students.
Understanding teaching or teaching for understanding: Alternative frameworks for science classrooms
Authors: Wildy Helen , Wallace John
Published: October 2006

We came to this study with a set of beliefs about good science teaching that had been heavily influenced by the constructivist literature of the past decade. In this article we reexamine some of our own assumptions about good teaching by exploring the classroom practices of an experienced physics teacher. This teacher did not fit the mold of the constructivist teacher and, yet, there was much to suggest that he was meeting the needs of the students in his class. His methods were almost entirely whole class—focusing mainly on physics content, examination technique and algorithm practice. Our close observation of this teacher in his Grade 11 classroom over several months suggests an alternative framework for examining his work. We examine this framework through a number of themes: teacher confidence, the structure of the discipline, student motivation, trust, and the cultural context of learning. We argue for a broader view of good science teaching than that proposed by the constructivist literature, one that takes into account teachers' and students' understandings of science in relation to their social and cultural contexts.
Project design factors that affect student perceptions of the success of a science research project
Authors: Kimbrough Doris R.
Published: October 2006

Throughout the United States, various summer science programs for precollege students are conducted with an aim toward increasing the involvement of young people in science. Most of these programs are perceived as successful by teachers and scientists because they involve students in hands‐on science activities, improve their scientific skills and confidence, and allow them the opportunity to use science to answer questions and solve problems. The work described here involves a detailed assessment of a summer National Science Foundation (NSF) Young Scholars Program, which was carried out over 2 summers. Student participants were entering 9th and 10th grade. The data used for this assessment included journals kept by teaching assistants, questionnaires administered to the participants and parents, and interviews with the participants. Analysis revealed that students perceived program success differently from teachers and program organizers. Their perception of the success of a program is directly related to whether or not their individual research project met its goals, regardless of other project activities. Designing projects that have a high likelihood of success from this perspective can be complex, but this work identified six variables that must be incorporated appropriately into the design of a project to ensure its success: (1) extent of project structure and who structures the project, faculty or student; (2) project relevance; (3) project flexibility; (4) project background research; (5) tangible results; and (6) project introduction.