Looking at Particles through the Eyes of Elementary School Students

• Main Authors: KUANG-CHIH CHEN, 陳廣智
• Other Authors: 蘇育任
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/26364501615640704239

碩士 === 臺中師範學院 === 自然科學教育學系碩士班 === 91 === In this study, fifteen elementary students were interviewed to understand the types and origins of their misconceptions about particles in the daily life. The subjects were selected by purposeful sampling from the fifth and sixth grade classes at a public elementary school of Chang-Hwa City. By using qualitative research method, students were investigated in the semi-structured interviews to probe their conceptions concerning macroscopic and microscopic properties in three different states of matter (solid, liquid and gas), as well as their understanding of phase changes, dissolving and diffusion. The particle conceptions about the state of matter and other topics which children expressed during interviews can be categorized as macro-continuous, macro-particulate, or micro-particulate types. Over 60﹪students hold obvious micro-particulate explanations about the nature of matter, but the other students who are able to express micro-particulate conceptions about the nature of matter fail to clearly describe the procedure of phase changes with micro-particulate explanations. Furthermore, the results indicate that the origins of students’ misconceptions about particles are as follows: restrictions due to students’ cognitive development, misled by perceptual experiences, deficit of correct scientific knowledge, improper use of analogies or models, the problems caused during teaching or by textbooks, literally interpreting the meaning of scientific language, incorrect inference or association with particular object, confused with familiar or similar conceptions, and incorrect interpretations after extracurricular reading. It can be summarized from this study that fifth and sixth grade elementary students have many kinds of misconceptions about particles, and these misconceptions are similar to those held by elementary students in other countries.