The purpose of the study was to determine the perceptions, knowledge levels, and mental models of gifted 2nd and 3rd-grade elementary students regarding the shape of the Earth and gravity concepts. The data for the study, which was qualitative research, was collected through interviews with the students. The study participants were 80 students…

This study investigated elementary students' explanations for the daily patterns of apparent motion of the Sun, Moon, and stars. Third-grade students were chosen for this study because this age level is at the lower end of when many US standards documents suggest students should learn to use the Earth's rotation to explain daily celestial motion.…

Prior research has demonstrated that neither children nor adults hold a scientific understanding of the big ideas of astronomy, as described in standards documents for science education [National Research Council [1996]. National science education standards. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; American Association for the Advancement of…