Student Understanding of Density: A Cross-age Investigation

Yeend, R.E.; Loverude, Michael E.; González, Bárbara Lázara Hernández

doi:10.1119/perc.2001.pr.020

Cited by 8 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 1 publication

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“…Many studies [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] have documented difficulty with density at a variety of ages, and a few of those [2][3][4][5][6][7] support our observation that the difficulty persists into college.…”

Section: Prior Worksupporting

confidence: 76%

“…Partial Eta Squared was 1.6% for the comparison between the original and ratio questions. 1 In S13, the modification to include initially separate objects had also had a significant, negative effect on student performance, Wilks' Lambda = .971, F (1,165) = 4.986, p = 0.027. Partial Eta Squared was 2.9% for the comparison between the original and modified questions.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3 Because missing-value format is so often used to test linear reasoning, students develop a "superficial association between a linguistic problem formulation and a solution procedure" [17]. Thus, students often apply linear reasoning to any missing-value questioneven if it is not valid.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Only 6% of the students demonstrated knowledge that density is independent of size and shape of an object. Yeend et al [3] also gave a post-instruction test to middle school, high school, and college students. Questions concerning density as an intensive property were answered correctly by only about 30% of the students.…”

Section: Prior Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To probe the prevalence of this difficulty, we wrote questions concerning density to add to our assessment in spring, 2012. In fall, 2012 (F12) and spring, 2013 (S13), we included questions from Yeend's density assessment [1] to further explore this topic.…”

Section: Whilementioning

confidence: 99%

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Experimental evidence of the superiority of the prevalence model of conceptual change over the classical models and repetition

2015

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This quasi-experimental study investigated the effects on 558 grades five and six students of three different teaching conditions: the classical model of conceptual change (for which cognitive conflict is considered as a precondition to the transformation of knowledge), the prevalence model of conceptual change (in which different conceptions can coexist, with one of them surpassing the others), and repetition of traditional teaching (that avoids cognitive conflicts and concentrates on the automatization of appropriate thought processes). These conditions were reduced to sequencing considerations, as classical model participants were first subjected to a possible cognitive conflict induced by a video, followed by another video about the targeted conceptions; prevalence model participants were subjected to the same videos but in the opposite chronological order; and repetition condition participants watched the "traditional teaching" video twice. Differences in accuracy and response times between our computerized and validated "sink/float" pretest and retest were analyzed. Results and interpretations confirm that cognitive conflicts are useful in teaching sequences that aim at producing conceptual changes. However, the major findings of this research suggest that such conflicts should not necessarily be triggered at the very beginning of teaching sequences, and therefore that the prevalence model might possibly be the preferable one to promote conceptual changes in real-life school science teaching settings. Recommendations for teaching and research are formulated. Presented results, although statistically significant, sometimes show weak effects sizes, and therefore call for further research efforts. informations pr esent ees par vid eo et susceptible de produire un conflit cognitif, suivi par une autre vid eo pr esentant les conceptions scientifiques d esir ees; les sujets de la condition pr evalence ont ecout e les deux mêmes vid eos mais dans l'ordre inverse; et les sujets de la condition r ep etition ont vu deux fois la vid eo des conceptions scientifiques. Une analyse comparative des gains d'exactitude et de temps de r eaction lors d'une tâche portant sur la flottabilit e des corps a et e effectu ee. Les r esultats et l'interpr etation tendent a confirmer que les conflits cognitifs sont n ecessaires aux changements conceptuels. Cependant, les r esultats sugg erent egalement que les conflits n'ont pas n ecessairement avantage aêtre provoqu es en d ebut de s equence et cons equemment que le mod ele de pr evalence serait possiblement celui qui aurait avantage aêtre utilis e en classe de science. Des recommandations p edagogiques sont formul ees. Malgr e des r esultats clairement significatifs, les faibles magnitudes d'effets obtenues pour certaines mesures appellent a la prudence et a la poursuite des travaux.

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Persistence of the Intuitive Conception That Heavier Objects Sink More: A Reaction Time Study With Different Levels of Interference

Potvin

Masson

Lafortune

et al. 2014

Int J of Sci and Math Educ

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ABSTRACT. Recent research efforts have argued for the persistence of some of students' frequent scientific misconceptions, even after correct answers are produced. Some of these studies, based on the analysis of reaction times, have recorded latencies for counterintuitive or incongruent stimuli compared to intuitive or congruent ones. The proposed interpretations were that prior knowledge survives learning and still coexists with new closer-to-scientific knowledge, producing conflicts that delay correct answers. But these conclusions are based on the assumption that stimuli from different conditions only differ in the presence/absence of interfering misconceptions, which is sometimes, in our opinion, a rather fragile claim. Thus, we have designed a task in which it is possible to test different levels of interference and not only its effects in contrast to another condition. Then, we have used it to see if different intensities of interference produce different levels of conflict. The task tested the persistence of the misconception that "heavy objects sink more than lighter ones". One hundred twenty-eight 14-to 15-year-olds were asked to tell which of the 2 balls presented (3 different materials and 3 different sizes) would "sink more" than the other. Analysis verified the presence of latencies and negative priming. For the most part, results show that the intensity of interference does produce corresponding latencies, which suggests greater conflict and therefore supports the hypothesis of persistence and coexistence of conceptions, even after correct answers are produced, and beyond other plausible effects due to the used stimuli. Prescriptions for theory and teaching are proposed.

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Student Understanding of Density: A Cross-age Investigation

Abstract: Results of a density assessment administered to 787 middle school, high school, and college students indicate that students harbor numerous alternate conceptions, particularly a tendency to associate mass, volume, and density with size.

Cited by 8 publications

References 1 publication

Similar Density Questions with Very Different Results

Similar Density Questions with Very Different Results

Experimental evidence of the superiority of the prevalence model of conceptual change over the classical models and repetition

Persistence of the Intuitive Conception That Heavier Objects Sink More: A Reaction Time Study With Different Levels of Interference

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