While spatial reasoning skills have been found to predict mathematical achievement, little is known about how primary students' conceptual understanding of three-dimensional objects develops. This paper reports insights into a Year 4 student's spatial reasoning when constructing and describing the properties of rectangular prisms, using Froebel's…

Can novel 3D models help students develop a deeper understanding of core concepts in molecular biology? We adapted 3D molecular models, developed by scientists, for use in high school science classrooms. The models accurately represent the structural and functional properties of complex DNA and Virus molecules, and provide visual and haptic…

In this paper, we describe students' concept images of average and average rate of change and the similarities and differences between those concept images. We do so by describing the students' ways of thinking and ways of understanding average and average rate of change, and how the students' meanings for average influenced their conceptions of…

What are Turkish pre, elementary, middle, and high school students' force ideas? And, how do Turkish students' non-normative force ideas differ or be similar to the well-known force misconceptions reported in the literature? Students have false and persistent beliefs about the physical world and they struggle with challenging misconceptions based…

Vygotsky posed a variety of meaningful ideas for education in his short life. This paper focuses on everyday concepts and mathematical concepts or scientific concepts from his theory, reorganizing these ideas according to a new idea of sublated concepts. Using a series of interviews from a third grade fraction class in Japan, the paper discusses…

This study investigates relationships between understanding of nature of science and four key factors elementary science teachers possess, which are: (1) Their specializations in different science areas (Physics, chemistry, and biology), (2) Gender issues, (3) How long they have been teaching in elementary school environments, (4) Their…

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of two different types of post-instruction concept interviews: one that did and one that did not embed a concept mapping process as means of eliciting students' post-instruction conceptual understandings about the nature of, source of, and problems caused by chlorofluorocarbons…

This study investigated perceptions of 56 students in 4 general chemistry labs regarding their understanding of chemical concepts and processes. Conceptual understanding of scientific investigation was the focus. Students using a pre-lab guide for lab preparation were compared with students completing a traditional pre-lab assignment. Data sources…

The use of the method of self-explanations to gain knowledge on students' conception of the chemical equilibrium concepts is reported in this paper. The analysis provides information on: (1) a general indication of students' understanding of materials related to chemical equilibrium, (2) a deep investigation of problem solving skills associated…

This paper describes an evaluation by two science educators of the pilot offering of an interdisciplinary critical issues course in Science, Technology, and Society (STS) designed to fulfill the natural science general degree requirements at a major university. This social science general studies course is an STS interdisciplinary course that…

An understanding of the concepts of atoms and molecules is fundamental to the learning of chemistry. Any misconceptions and alternative conceptions related to these concepts which students harbor will impede much further learning. This paper identifies misconceptions related to the fundamental characteristics of atoms and molecules which Grade 12…

The present study: (1) identified certain scientific misconceptions possessed by high school and university students; (2) identified, by written and interview means, the origins of these misconceptions; and (3) classified the misconceptions according to their origin. A pilot study using grade 9 high school students showed that, although more…

An exposition is made of a method to elicit students' comprehension of the meaning of words commonly used in science, which may be influential in determining what they learn. The method's aim is to elucidate features in students' understanding of childrens' science (that found before formal teaching of science), student science (that found after…

Based on the Kellian view of constructive alternativism (that the meanings of any idea are not fixed, but vary from individual to individual), this paper describes a technique for exploring school children's conceptions of common physical phenomena to allow science educators (1) to appreciate the alternative conceptions of their students and (2)…

This study examined the role played by particular intellectual and physical environments on concept formation, focusing on conceptions concerning heat in a group of non-western subjects living in the interior of southern Africa (N. Sotho and Tswana peoples). In addition, these conceptions were examined in three contexts of the subjects' cultural…