An investigation on the effectiveness of teaching scientific concepts via statistical distribution －Using Maxwell distribution as an example

• Main Authors: Meng-Shan Li, 李孟珊
• Other Authors: Hak-Ping Tam
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/87259908499435271653

碩士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 科學教育研究所 === 100 === Maxwell speed distribution is a difficult topic to many senior high school students. This study proposed that a better understanding can be gained if students are taught statistical distribution before the formal introduction of this topic. Towards this purpose, teaching materials on Maxwell distribution were designed according to the Distribution Data Handling teaching model that was developed for this study with emphasis from the perspective of statistical distribution. A teaching experiment was then conducted to test out the effectiveness of this approach according to the quasi-experimental design. The participants were from two grade twelve classes for gifted students in a senior high school located in Taipei city. The effectiveness of the instruction and materials were evaluated by analyzing students’ responses to the statistical distribution concept test, Maxwell distribution concept test, an attitude questionnaire, as well as data from class videos and semi-structured interviews. Several results were observed from this study. First, since there is a correspondence between the statistical concept of distribution to those scientific concepts that are based on distribution, students with better grasped of the features of distribution performed better after instruction. They could better relate to the molecular speed distribution from a global and integrated perspective. They could better comprehend the effect of temperature and molecular weight on the Maxwell distribution. Second, for students who tended to focus only on a single or part of the features of a distribution, they were observed not being able to comprehend the Maxwell distribution holistically. When some the surrounding conditions were changed, they tended to focus on changes of a few data points and not on all of the data. Third, after formal introduction to statistical distribution and hands-on experiences with handling data, students could better understand Maxwell distribution holistically as well as the underlying meaning of quantities in relation to the speed distribution.