No abstract

This article reports some findings of a study of 14 -15-year-old students' ideas about combustion. Patterns of students' explanation across a range of questions are described and analyzed to gain insight into both the degree of consistency of their explanations and how this may affect the processes of conceptual change in students. Data were collected by a questionnaire survey using mainly open questions. Responses were analyzed using systemic networks. Categories from the networks were combined to produce patterns of explanations that could be considered as theories. The general characteristics of these theories, the consistency with which they were used, and implications for teaching and learning are discussed.