Examining the Relationship Between Students’ Understanding of the Nature of Models and Conceptual Learning in Biology, Physics, and Chemistry

Gobert, Janice D.; O’Dwyer, Laura M.; Horwitz, Paul; Buckley, Barbara C.; Levy, Sharona T.; Wilensky, Uri

doi:10.1080/09500691003720671

Cited by 95 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…The process of creating and testing models of phenomena has been identified as highly relevant for science education [1], [2], [3]. However, the required tools are only sparsely available and often too complex to use, and therefore seldom part of prescribed science education curricula [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning by Conceptual Modeling--Changes in Knowledge Structure and Content

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Stelzhammer

et al. 2013

IEEE Trans. Learning Technol.

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The DynaLearn interactive learning environment enables learning by having learners create conceptual models of system's behavior. This paper reports on exploratory evaluation studies using the DynaLearn software, carried out with learners studying environmental science. Two three-day modeling sessions were conducted in two consecutive years with two students exploring the evolving prototype of the software. The learners worked on assignments designed to achieve specific learning goals. To investigate conceptual changes on behalf of the learner, a set of parameters was applied for semantic text analysis of written pre-and posttests. The evaluation results show key changes occurring in knowledge structure and content in both years for both students. Indications of an effect of prior knowledge on the magnitude of conceptual change were found. The results confirm the potential of DynaLearn for inducing causal and interlinked understanding of environmental systems.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning by Conceptual Modeling--Changes in Knowledge Structure and Content

Zitek

Poppe

Stelzhammer

et al. 2013

IEEE Trans. Learning Technol.

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“…To gain pedagogical and epistemological benefit from analogical models, or any other representations for that matter, students need to recognize the main purpose of adopting the particular representations and where there is a direct correspondence between the representation and the target concept and where the correspondence breaks down (Chittleborough, Treagust, Mamiala, & Mocerino, ; Gobert et al., ; Harrison & Treagust, ). Researchers also recommend that teachers need to help students recognize limitations of the representation for their metarepresentational skills (Glynn, ; Treagust, Harrison, & Venville, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Students’ Learning Strategies With Multiple Representations: Explanations of the Human Breathing Mechanism

2014

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The purpose of this study was to understand how students utilized multiple representations to learn and explain science concepts, in this case the human breathing mechanism. The study was conducted with Grade 11 students in a human biology class. Semistructured interviews and a two‐tier diagnostic test were administered to evaluate students’ learning strategies of integrating multiple representations. The functions of multiple representations (complementary, constraining, and deeper understanding) suggested by Ainsworth () were adapted as the analytical framework to better describe the participating students’ learning strategies with multiple representations (access complementary information, apply one representation to interpret the other, and evaluate representations). The categorization of students’ learning strategies facilitated interpreting their diverse understanding in relation to the multiple representations. In addition to a summary of students’ learning strategies, three case examples are presented to show how the framework was applied in the analysis and to discuss how the learning strategies interacted with students’ understanding of the multiple representations and of the concept.

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“…Models and modelling play a central role not only in scientific enterprise but also in Science Education (Halloun, 2007;Justi and Gilbert, 2002;Oh and Oh, 2011), being the understanding of models an important issue of one's understanding of science (Gobert et al, 2011). Models are powerful tools that scientists use in developing scientific knowledge.…”

Section: Scientific Models and Science Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nature of science, scientific and geoscience models: Examining students and teachers’ views

2015

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This study investigates Portuguese science teachers' and Portuguese high school students' views regarding nature of science, scientific models and Geoscience models and explores the relations between their views. It also examines how Portuguese science teachers value and use models in science classroom. A survey was applied to 145 science teachers and 415 students of the last year of secondary school, who answered to 14 multiple choice questions. Descriptive analyses showed that teachers and students hold intermediate views regarding nature of science and scientific models. Some errors were also detected concerning Geoscience models. T-test analyses showed significant differences between teachers and students' views, as teachers gave globally more informed answers. Authors considered that more attention should be given to teachers training regarding those issues and that more research is needed in order to understand how teachers deal with nature of science teaching and how they value and use models in classes.

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Examining the Relationship Between Students’ Understanding of the Nature of Models and Conceptual Learning in Biology, Physics, and Chemistry

Cited by 95 publications

References 57 publications

Learning by Conceptual Modeling--Changes in Knowledge Structure and Content

Learning by Conceptual Modeling--Changes in Knowledge Structure and Content

Students’ Learning Strategies With Multiple Representations: Explanations of the Human Breathing Mechanism

Nature of science, scientific and geoscience models: Examining students and teachers’ views

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