A study on the mechanism of conceptual change from the perspectives of the history of science and ontology

• Main Authors: Jung Yao Chang, 張榮耀
• Other Authors: Mei Hung Chiu
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2000
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/45604098139728360936

碩士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 科學教育研究所 === 88 === 　　The purposes of this study are: (a) to explore the 10th grade students’ misconcepts and of the Periodic Law and electrolyte, (b) to investigate if the historical science materials can be an effective instrument to help students change concepts of the Periodic Law and electrolyte, and (c) to compare the cognitive processes of learning those two concepts; if they are different, then to clarify what conceptual change models were revealed. In order to accomplish these purposes, the researcher investigated on twenty 10th grade students, divided into two groups─ten students in experimental group used the history of science materials and the other ten in control group used a traditional instruction. From a paper-and-pencil test, content-specific activity teaching, a post-test, interviewing, and deferring test, the following conclusions are drawn: 1. In Periodic Law, most students keep the same concepts as Mendeleev’s before they are taught ,besides, the others hold the concepts of modern periodic table. In electrolyte, some students think that, besides ions, there are particles that transmit electricity. In addition, many misconcepts correspondent to the history of science occur. 2. In comparison of the students’ conceptual performance, there is a significant difference between the treatment and the control group. The result is that the science historical instruction is better than the traditional one. And in the outcome of students’ performance, both groups of students get higher grades in Periodic Law than in electrolyte. In addition, after deferring test, the result reveals that the students make greater retrogression in the electrolyte test; therefore, it says that it is more difficult to change the concepts of electrolyte than the ones of the Periodic Law. 3. From analyzing two groups of students’ interviewing data, the researcher finds out that the related concepts with the Periodic Law the students hold are attributed to the matter category in ontology, but the concept of electrolyte they hold, it cannot be attributed into an absolute category. As for the result that cause the lower conceptual performance students make limited progression is the misplace of the ontological attribution. 4. In the comparison between the history of science and raditional instruction, the researcher finds out that the history of science provides more correct attributive predicates for students, so it provides a more effective teaching setting activity. In conclusion, both the concepts of matter and process categories in science historical materials are good for students to change their concepts and promote their learning; furthermore, in the process of teaching, teachers should make good use of this kind of materials to be a catalyst of a successful instruction.