Promoting mental model building in astronomy education

Taylor, Ian; Barker, Miles; Jones, Alister

doi:10.1080/0950069022000017270a

Cited by 84 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…It also seems reasonable to conclude that learning about the solar system, like so many other areas of science, is a constructive process, one that appears to take place mainly through acts of personal and social cognition rather than direct transmission (Sharp, Bowker, & Merrick, 1997). Interestingly, while the solar system presents its own particular challenges for primary aged children, the same is also true of high school students (Suzuki, 1998;Taylor, Barker, & Jones, 2003;Trumper, 2001), teachers and trainees (Parker and Heywood, 1998;Spiliotopoulou & Ioannidis, 1996;Summers & Mant, 1995;Trumper, 2003), and members of the general public (Acker & Pecker, 1988;Durant, Evans, & Thomas, 1989;Lightman, Miller, & Leadbetter, 1987). The constructive nature of children learning about the solar system will, of course, be investigated further here, together with the notion of chaos in cognition.…”

Section: Review Of Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, attending to knowledge acquisition and concept learning via the promotion of mental model building is not only important to astronomy but to the nature of science and science education as a whole (Taylor, Barker, & Jones, 2003). Within the typology presented, mental models might be regarded as intuitive, scientific, or synthetic.…”

Section: Theoretical and Analytical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Children's ideas about the solar system and the chaos in learning science

Sharp

Kuerbis

2005

Sci. Ed.

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ABSTRACT:Findings from a quasi-experimental study of children's ideas about the solar system and how these ideas changed in response to a 10-week intervention period of formal astronomy teaching at a single primary school in England are presented in detail. Initial interviews with all of the 9-to 11-year-olds involved revealed a relatively poorly developed prior knowledge base, and this was reflected in the predominantly intuitive and transitional nature of the different mental models expressed and used when answering questions and completing tasks. Following intervention, progression was evident in many different forms and this could be described and measured both qualitatively and quantitatively. The routes and pathways toward scientific conceptualization were often direct, and most changes could be attributed largely to the processes of weak and radical knowledge restructuring. Together with the retention of newly formed ideas over time, learning outcomes were considered particularly encouraging. In order to explain findings more fully, evidence is presented which lends some support to the notion of chaos in cognition.

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Section: Review Of Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Theoretical and Analytical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Children's ideas about the solar system and the chaos in learning science

Sharp

Kuerbis

2005

Sci. Ed.

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“…2003; Mustu, 2016;Panagiotaki, Nobes, & Potton, 2008;Samarapungavan, Vosniadou, & Brewer, 1996;Straatemeier, Van der Mass, & Jansen, 2008;Taylor, Baker, & Jones, 2003;Vosniadou & Brewer, 1992;Vosniadou, Skopeliti, & Ikospentaki, 2004).…”

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confidence: 99%

Secondary School Students’ Mental Models Regarding the Space

Can¹,

Baybars²

2018

JEL

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This study was carried out to reveal the mental models of the secondary school students from different grade levels regarding the concept of space. At the same time, within the context of the study, it was aimed to determine the factors playing a role in the construction of their concepts of space. The study employed the special case study design, one of the descriptive methods. The study was conducted in the spring term of the 2016-2017 school year and the sampling of the study is comprised of the students attending a private secondary school in a city located in the western region of Turkey. In the study, a data collection tool including four open-ended questions developed by the researchers to determine the students' mental models of the "space" was used. The collected data were analyzed by using descriptive statistical techniques. The findings of the study have revealed that the students mostly associate the concept of the space with the concepts of emptiness (53 students), infinity (50 students), planet (48 students) and star (28 students). These findings are also supported by the students' drawings and the Celestial Bodies Mental Model was found to be the model most frequently used by the students.

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“…Our educational intervention was tested on 7 July 2012, with six children aged 12 to 14 years old (four boys, two girls). Several authors agree that the lunar phases are an appropriate topic for students of that age group (Tomlinson 1997;Stahly et al 1999;Bishop 2002;Taylor et al 2003;Barnett & Morran 2002;Kavanagh et al 2005). The six volunteer participants were recruited from among the children of colleagues who work for a large science museum complex where the author also worked, but was not in direct, day-to-day contact with the children.…”

Section: Methodsologymentioning

confidence: 99%

From Geocentrism to Allocentrism: Teaching the Phases of the Moon in a Digital Full-Dome Planetarium

Chastenay

2015

Res Sci Educ

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An increasing number of planetariums worldwide are turning digital, using ultrafast computers, powerful graphic cards, and high-resolution video projectors to create highly realistic astronomical imagery in real time. This modern technology makes it so that the audience can observe astronomical phenomena from a geocentric as well as an allocentric perspective (the view from space). While the dome creates a sense of immersion, the digital planetarium introduces a new way to teach astronomy, especially for topics that are inherently three-dimensional and where seeing the phenomenon from different points of view is essential. Like a virtual-reality environment, an immersive digital planetarium helps learners create a more scientifically accurate visualization of astronomical phenomena. In this study, a digital planetarium was used to teach the phases of the Moon to children aged 12 to 14. To fully grasp the lunar phases, one must imagine the spherical Moon (as perceived from space), revolving around the Earth while being illuminated by the Sun, and then reconcile this view with the geocentric perspective. Digital planetariums allow learners to have both an allocentric and a geocentric perspective on the lunar phases. Using a Design experiment approach, we tested an educational scenario in which the lunar phases were taught in an allocentric digital planetarium. Based on qualitative data collected before, during, and after the planetarium intervention, we were able to demonstrate that five out of six participants had a better understanding of the lunar phases after the planetarium session.Keywords Astronomy teaching . Digital planetarium . Full-dome . Phases of the Moon . Development research . Design-based research IntroductionThe phases of the Moon is a difficult concept to understand. Primarily, our limited and exclusively geocentric point of view of the Sun-Earth-Moon system (SEM) (Nussbaum 1985;Black 2005), our incorrect perception of the relative sizes and distances of astronomical objects (Miller & Brewer 2010), and our difficulty to mentally shift away from Earth's frame of reference (Gazit et al. 2005), all prevent us from recognizing the intrinsic three-dimensional Res Sci Educ (2016) 46:43-77 DOI 10.1007 P. Chastenay (*) Département de Didactique, Université du Québec à Montréal, CP 8888 Succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3P8 e-mail: chastenay.pierre@uqam.ca nature of the mechanism behind this phenomenon. These difficulties lead to a Bplethora of different, more or less complicated conceptions^ (Roald & Mikalsen 2001, p. 236) held by students of different ages and cultural backgrounds about the lunar phases (see work by Baxter 1989;Philips 1991;Schoon 1992;Sharp 1995Sharp , 1996Sharp et al. 1999;Stahly et al. 1999;Dunlop 2000;Liu 2005;LoPresto & Murrell 2011; Comins, n.d.). Several teaching strategies that address misconceptions about the lunar phases have been tested in different educational settings, including using concrete SEM models in a traditional planetarium (Pitluga ...

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Promoting mental model building in astronomy education

Cited by 84 publications

References 52 publications

Children's ideas about the solar system and the chaos in learning science

Children's ideas about the solar system and the chaos in learning science

Secondary School Students’ Mental Models Regarding the Space

From Geocentrism to Allocentrism: Teaching the Phases of the Moon in a Digital Full-Dome Planetarium

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