Identifying students’ mental models of the apparent motion of the Sun and stars

Bekaert, Hans; Winckel, H. Van; Dooren, Wim Van; Steegen, An; Cock, Mieke De

doi:10.1103/physrevphyseducres.18.010130

Cited by 5 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…For example, the mental model of the solar system may be used to explain Rutherford's atom model. Bekaert et al (2022) recognized this idea in the results of their study with Belgian school students of 16/17 years old where they interpreted the students' mental models about the apparent motion of the Sun and stars. By administering the AMoSS test, analyzing the answers of the multiple choice questions with a Latent Class Analysis and categorizing the written explanations, they found five different mental models of which the first two can be linked to analogical thinking:…”

Section: Students' Mental Models Of the Apparent Motion Of The Sun An...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Table 1. Framework of the AMoSS test: similarities and differences between the apparent motion of the Sun and stars By investigating these two questions we also aim at verifying if the five mental models, as described by Bekaert et al (2022), apply for the students of the four countries participating in the study. Since these five models may be related to the Belgian education system, we are wondering whether new mental models can be identified by examining different countries.…”

Section: Students' Mental Models Of the Apparent Motion Of The Sun An...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They decided that the test is difficult, but was well suited for the intended study. Based on the recommendations of the test developers (Bekaert et al (2022)) we reformulated question III about the cause of the seasons to a multiple-choice question. We also modified one figure of question I.E to improve the distinction between the different alternatives (See Figure 2).…”

Section: Amoss Test: Multiple Choice Questionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…First, although people experience the Sunrise and Sunset every day, previous research has shown that young children, students and adults have difficulties properly describing and explaining the Sun's apparent motion (Bailey and Slater (2003); Lelliott and Rollnick (2009); Plummer et al (2011); Testa et al (2015); Trumper (2000); Bekaert et al (2022)). When it comes to stars it seems to be worse: they think that the stars' apparent motion does not differ from the Sun, stars are fixed in the sky or move opposite to the Sun (Vosniadou and Brewer (1994); Plummer (2009); Bekaert et al (2020)).…”

Section: Introduction and Problem Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparing students’ knowledge of the apparent motion of the Sun and stars across four European countries

Bekaert

Steegen

Winckel

et al. 2022

AEJ

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In the context of the European Erasmus+ project Teaching ASTronomy at the Educational level (TASTE), we investigated to what extent secondary school students of four participating countries (Belgium, Germany, Greece and Italy) have insight in the Apparent Motion of the Sun and Stars. The systematic design of the AMoSS test instrument allowed us to detect differences in understanding of the apparent motion of the Sun and stars. We administered the test with 12 multiple choice questions to 13-17 years old students of 5 European secondary schools (N=348) during a science lesson in school. We also asked them to explain their choices. We found similar results in the four countries: most students only demonstrate a rudimentary understanding of the apparent motion of the Sun and stars for different times during the day, different times during the year and different locations of the observer on Earth. Moreover, we see a clear distinction between the responses to the Sun-related and the star-related questions. In general, the questions about the Sun are answered more correctly than the questions about the stars. By using one classification system for the four countries we were able to compare written explanations in different languages. In combination with a latent class analysis, we identified different mental models that students use to answer questions about the apparent motion of the Sun and stars.

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Section: Students' Mental Models Of the Apparent Motion Of The Sun An...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Students' Mental Models Of the Apparent Motion Of The Sun An...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Amoss Test: Multiple Choice Questionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introduction and Problem Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comparing students’ knowledge of the apparent motion of the Sun and stars across four European countries

Bekaert

Steegen

Winckel

et al. 2022

AEJ

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“…The increasing emphasis on modeling is evident from 'Developing and Using Models' being considered as one of the key scientific practices to be promoted in classrooms [15,40]. The literature on modeling in PER can be mainly classified into: analyzing students' mental models [22,[41][42][43][44][45], modeling during problem solving [46][47][48][49][50], promoting modeling in classroom instruction [46,47,[51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59][60], and modeling in laboratories [61][62][63][64][65][66][67].…”

Section: B Modelingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sensemaking and Scientific Modeling: Intertwined processes analyzed in the context of physics problem solving

Sirnoorkar¹,

Laverty²,

O.³

2022

Preprint

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Physics education researchers have advocated for modeling and sensemaking to be part of students' science learning environments as the two processes lead to generation of new knowledge by connecting one's existing ideas. Despite being two distinct processes, modeling is often described as sensemaking of the physical world. In the current work, we provide an explicit, framework-based analysis of the intertwining between modeling and sensemaking by operationalizing the Denotative Function (DF), Demonstration (D), and Inferential Function (IF) -the DFDIF account of modeling -, and the Sensemaking Epistemic Game in the context of physics problem solving. The data involves two case studies, one involving participant's successful completion of the task and the other in which the participant aborts his attempt at the solution. Qualitative analysis of the participants' problem-solving moves reveals that modeling -construction of mental models and engagement with the DFDIF components -to entail navigation through the stages of the Sensemaking Epistemic Game. We also observe co-occurrence of construction of mental models, engagement with modeling's Demonstration and Inferential Function with the Assembling of a Knowledge Framework, Generation of an Explanation, and Resolution stages of the Sensemaking Epistemic Game respectively. Additionally, the second case study reveals that barriers experienced in modeling a context can inhibit participants' sustained sensemaking. Limitations of the current work and implications for future explorations are discussed.

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“Is the Moon Self- or Hetero-luminous?”: an Investigation of Primary School Students’ Ideas on the Luminosity of the Moon

Neofotistos,

Starakis,

Halkia

2023

Int J of Sci and Math Educ

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Identifying students’ mental models of the apparent motion of the Sun and stars

Cited by 5 publications

References 34 publications

Comparing students’ knowledge of the apparent motion of the Sun and stars across four European countries

Comparing students’ knowledge of the apparent motion of the Sun and stars across four European countries

Sensemaking and Scientific Modeling: Intertwined processes analyzed in the context of physics problem solving

“Is the Moon Self- or Hetero-luminous?”: an Investigation of Primary School Students’ Ideas on the Luminosity of the Moon

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