'Forms of energy', an intermediary language on the road to thermodynamics? Part II

Kaper, W.H.; Goedhart, Martin

doi:10.1080/09500690110049123

Cited by 30 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…It is generally accepted that these forms of energy fall into two broad classes: kinetic energy, which involves motion, and potential energy, which is stored in fields. Many scholars do not see a problem with the 'forms of energy' language, arguing that if used correctly this metaphor can represent a scientifically accurate understanding of energy (Kaper & Goedhart, 2010;Nordine et al, 2011;Trumper 1990). Obviously, this metaphor highlights the transformation of energy, particularly when used in tandem with the conservation principle.…”

Section: Energy As a Substance That Can Change Formsmentioning

confidence: 97%

An Analysis of Metaphors Used by Students to Describe Energy in an Interdisciplinary General Science Course

Lancor

2015

International Journal of Science Education

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The meaning of the term energy varies widely in scientific and colloquial discourse. Teasing apart the different connotations of the term can be especially challenging for non-science majors. In this study, undergraduate students taking an interdisciplinary, general science course (n ¼ 49) were asked to explain the role of energy in five contexts: radiation, transportation, generating electricity, earthquakes, and the big bang theory. The responses were qualitatively analyzed under the framework of conceptual metaphor theory. This study presents evidence that non-science major students spontaneously use metaphorical language that is consistent with the conceptual metaphors of energy previously identified in the discourse of students in introductory physics, biology, and chemistry courses. Furthermore, most students used multiple coherent metaphors to explain the role of energy in these complex topics. This demonstrates that these conceptual metaphors for energy have broader applicability than just traditional scientific contexts. Implications for this work as a formative assessment tool in instruction will also be discussed.

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Section: Energy As a Substance That Can Change Formsmentioning

confidence: 97%

An Analysis of Metaphors Used by Students to Describe Energy in an Interdisciplinary General Science Course

Lancor

2015

International Journal of Science Education

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“…For example, instead of using terms such as synthesis and decomposition reactions, these were labeled as 2→ 1 and 1 → 2 types of reactions, with the digits referring, respectively, to the number of substances disappearing or appearing. Following Kaper and Goedhart (, ), we see such terms and phrasings as examples of an intermediary language , which has a preparatory function but is not the final language the curriculum aims to construct. Such intermediary language might sound strange to a chemist, but to students it often gives a reasonable account of a recognizable regularity, and using this interpretation they are likely to be able to progress in their learning.…”

Section: A New Chemistry Curriculummentioning

confidence: 99%

An Empirical Introduction to the Concept of Chemical Element Based on Van Hiele's Theory of Level Transitions

Vogelezang

Berkel²,

Verdonk³

2015

Sci. Ed.

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Between 1970 and, the Dutch working group Empirical Introduction to Chemistry developed a secondary school chemistry education curriculum based on the educational vision of the mathematicians van Hiele and van Hiele-Geldof. This approach viewed learning as a process in which students must go through discontinuous level transitions characterized by linguistic changes. Transposed to chemistry education, the first transition is from the ground level to the descriptive level, where students learn to describe regularities in chemical phenomena. This transition is followed by a transition to the theoretical level, where students learn the structure of these regularities. In this article, the researchers introduce the qualitative concept of chemical element, expand it to address quantitative formulas for gases, and explain it using the concept chemical atom as an indivisible unity. The researchers qualitatively analyze transcripts of discussions both between students and between students and their teacher to look for evidence of chemistry learning in accordance with the theoretical expectations. The results show the applicability of the Van Hiele theory of level transitions for chemistry learning. In retrospect, more attention should have been paid to necessary idealizations to arrive at the desired chemical concepts.

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“…Both approaches received considerable criticism. For example, introducing students to the energy concept through the idea of energy forms may be a hindrance for future learning about energy (Kaper and Goedhart 2002), may nurture the idea of energy as a quasi-material substance (Warren 1982) or may teach students labels instead of a deeper understanding (Swackhamer 2005).…”

Section: Students' Understanding Of the Energy Conceptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Composition-Effects of Context-based Learning Opportunities on Students’ Understanding of Energy

Podschuweit

Bernholt

2017

Res Sci Educ

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Context-based learning has become a widespread approach in science education. While positive motivational effects of such approaches have been well established empirically, clear results regarding cognitive aspects of students' learning are still missing. In this article, we argue that this circumstance might be mainly rooted in the definition of context itself. Based on this argument, we shift from the issue of if contexts are cognitively beneficial to focus on the question of which composition of contexts is, at least by tendency, more effective than another. Based on theories of conceptual change, we therefore conducted a small-scale intervention study comparing two groups of students learning in different sets of contexts focusing on the same scientific concept-the cross-cutting concept of energy. Results suggest that learning in a more heterogeneous set of contexts eases transfer to new contexts in comparison to learning in a more homogeneous set of contexts. However, a more abstract understanding of the energy concept does not seem to be fostered by either of these approaches. Theoretical as well as practical implications of these finding are discussed.

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'Forms of energy', an intermediary language on the road to thermodynamics? Part II

Cited by 30 publications

References 6 publications

An Analysis of Metaphors Used by Students to Describe Energy in an Interdisciplinary General Science Course

An Analysis of Metaphors Used by Students to Describe Energy in an Interdisciplinary General Science Course

An Empirical Introduction to the Concept of Chemical Element Based on Van Hiele's Theory of Level Transitions

Composition-Effects of Context-based Learning Opportunities on Students’ Understanding of Energy

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