Action Research on Implementing Conjecturing-centered Instruction to Investigate Fourth Graders’ Conjecturing Thinking Processes and Active Thinking Abilities

• Main Author: 蕭淑惠
• Other Authors: Chin, Erh-Tsung
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/79438968374047582772

碩士 === 國立彰化師範大學 === 科學教育研究所 === 98 === This dissertation aimed at developing the conjecturing-centered instruction activities and implementing them in a fourth grade classroom to investigate the pupils’ conjecturing thinking processes and active thinking abilities. The research design was based on action research method which analyzing involved four steps: planning, acting, observing and reflecting. The study was conducted through two circles which lasted for three months. The research subjects were 24 four-grade pupils which were divided into four groups, while the main observed subjects were three boys and three girls. They carried on mathematical reasoning and resolving by means of “entry step”, “attack step” and “review step” in the conjecturing-centered mathematical activities. The instructor led the pupils to pose a general rule, test that rule, and then revise a conjecture accordingly. The pupils constructed their conceptions gradually in the circle that consisted of posing a conjecture, testing it, believing it, or rejecting it. The collected data included videotapes, conjecturing thinking processes checklists, active thinking abilities observational notes, semi-structured interviews, students’ learning files, instructional journals, and researcher’s reflective records. The results evinced several findings in the conjecturing-centered instruction. First,there were five factors that stimulated the pupils to bring up conjectures. Second, the fourth graders’ conjecturing thinking processes consisted of observation, conjectures suggesting, verification and generalization. Third, the pupils that emerged different performance had different manifestations in basic thinking, reorganizing thinking and problem solving thinking. The conclusions were declared as follows: (1) real life related problems would stimulate active thinking effectively; (2) the instructor should supply different pupils with different assistances; (3) the instructor could help pupils build positive attitudes by using questions appropriately; (4) the pupils would experience the development of mathematical knowledge in the conjecturing-centered activities.