A Study on The Fifth and Sixth Graders’ Recognition about The Concept of Plate Tectonics Concern Earthquake

• Main Authors: Chang Yu Mei, 張鈺梅
• Other Authors: 許民陽
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2005
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/45595223122952117452

碩士 === 臺北市立師範學院 === 科學教育研究所 === 93 === The reason that causes earthquakes has always been the focus greatly concerned by people, and plenty of speculations have been evolved since the ancient past. During the myth era, it was believed that earthquakes occurred when some creature or god in the underground moved, and the ancient legend in Taiwan even confirmed that earthquakes occurred when the land bull in the underground moved; however, inspired by geology, we recognize that earthquakes occur when the plates on earth move. The birth of Taiwan Island is closely linked with plates’ movement, and in our daily life, there are many earthquakes on the island caused by the collision and friction triggered by the movement, but the science curriculum of the elementary schools discusses less about the main reason causing earthquakes—plate. Therefore, this study will target on the fifth and sixth graders in the elementary schools, probe into their recognition about the link between earthquakes and plates, and provide the consequence for the editors of the science curriculum in the future as a reference. The study will apply the research methods focusing on both quantity and quality. Designed by the researcher and divided into the following categories—“Plate’ Tectonics and Movement,” “the Concept about Taiwan Plate,” “the Geological Phenomenon Caused by Plate’ Tectonics,” and “the Source for the Concept of the Earthquakes,” two questionnaires, A Test on the Recognition about the Link between Earthquakes and Plates and An Outline on the Interview about the Link between Earthquakes and Plates, will serve as the research instruments whose options of all the questions will undergo the analyses about the percentage, F Test to examine if the students from different areas will develop an obviously different recognition in “Plates’ Tectonics and Movement,” “the Concept about Taiwan Plate,” and “the Geological Phenomenon Caused by Plates’ Tectonics.” 1278 students from the elementary schools in Taoyuan, Nanto, and Hualien will be the objects and samples for the research, and 36 of them will be interviewed. The materials collected from the questionnaire and interview will be analyzed. The consequence of the research can be disclosed as the following: Among the students received the test and interview, 94.0 % of them heard of plates, but only 42.9% of them know that plates can be seen, and 37.3% of them know that plates are located on the most external layer of the earth. 92.3% of them know that plates can move, and 57.9% of them know that plates’ movement is caused by the flow of the lava inside the earth. 84.7% of the students know that Taiwan is formed by the collision between Euro-Asian Plates and Philippine Plates, but only 45.6% of them know that it is situated on Circum-Pacific Seismic Belt. 65.2% of them know that the earthquakes in Taiwan are mainly caused by plates’ movement. Over 80% of them know that plates’ movement also leads to many high mountains and volcanoes in Taiwan. Over 80% of them know that the collision between two plates will make the mountains grow and cause many earthquakes in Taiwan. More than 90% of the students know that plates’ movement results in the phenomenon of earthquakes. 69.5% of them know that the press and extrusion between plates won’t result in tornadoes or typhoons. 66.1% of them know that it is wrong to believe there is no change in the ground located in the contact between two plates. The fifth and sixth graders of the elementary schools obtain the concept of plates mainly from teachers, books, TV channels, parents, museums, and the internet. In the recognition about “Plates’ Tectonics and Movement,” “the Concept about Taiwan Plates,” and “the Geological Phenomenon Caused by Plates’ Formation,” the fifth and sixth graders of the elementary schools from Hualien get lower scores than those from Taoyuan and Nanto, and the difference is obvious.