In studies about how young children learn science concepts meaningfully it is often reported that they tend to have problems integrating new scientific concepts in established knowledge structures (Rahayu et al. 1999, Seré 2000). Thereby scientific knowledge stands parallel and not integrated in opposition to “every-day“ assumptions. Every-day concepts can have a great impact on observations and interpretation of scientific phenomena (Prieto 1992, Anderson 1990, Meheut 1982).
Concept Maps are often described as “metacognive tools” that support children’s reflective thinking by using visual and conceptual representations (Mintzes et al. 1997). By creating and modifying a concept map the creator needs to make comprehensible decisions about which concepts are related or subordinated and in which context they are used. As processes of individual self-reflection, self-control and evaluation are necessary for creating a concept map, these processes will concurrently been positively influenced from it. Concept mapping has been proved to be efficient for short-time memory of concepts (Bernd et al. 2000). Concept mapping also exert an influence on long-time memory of knowledge concerning an overview of a domain area (Juengst 1995). A positive effect of the use of concept mapping could be reported for student’s attitude in relation to science as they gain a transparent overview of domain specific knowledge fields (Jegede et al. 1990). So far it is not yet investigated how and in which extend the method of concept mapping has a positive influence on elementary school students learning alleged abstract concepts of the topic burning and combustion. According to these research interests, this research uses concept mapping as a) a research method and b) as the object of interest of the inquiry.
Concept mapping is used in this study as a) a qualitative research method to investigate student’s conceptions about the specific content and b) used as the object of interest in the investigation as they were quantitatively compared to a non-linear method to investigate the efficiency of concept maps in their function as a learning method. The aims of the study lay in the combination of findings to create guidelines for learners and teachers for their work with concept mapping within this domain specific content of chemistry education.
The Investigation focused on two research questions:
To answer these questions three parts of investigation were made:
All three parts of the study and their influence on the Educational Structuring are described in detail below. The research is methodologically settled in the research frame of the underlying model of Educational Reconstruction (Kattmann et al. 1997). This model aims for the iterative connection of
Epistemologically the model bases on constructivist ideas that assume the (re-)construction of a certain subject matter by the individual itself. As science education acts as a meta-science against domain specific science, it requires the inclusion of student’s (pre-)conceptions as part and parcel in the process of (re-)construction. The following graphic shows the interaction of all research paradigm related to the specific parts of this study:
Design of research included in the research framework of the Model of Educational Reconstruction
The scientific clarification and the investigation of the student’s (pre-)conceptions mark these parts of the study that are focused on the answering of the first research question, because they refer to the content fire and combustion. Here, two investigations were made which are presented under 2.1 and 2.2.
The simplification of scientific matter, which is in this case the topic burning and combustion, marks one of the important aspects within the model of Educational Reconstruction (Kattmann et al. 1997). To identify concepts that are relevant for elementary school students, four experts have been interviewed. These experts all have a scientific background and have developed different educational submissions for elementary school students for the topic burning and combustion. The method of interviewing experts has often been used in qualitative research (Meuser 1994). Here, a rough overview of the interview structure will be given.
The guidelines for the interviews referred to:The Concept Maps of 92 elementary school students at the age of 10 have been evaluated qualitatively. This part of the study represents methodologically an empirical-qualitative exploration. The data has been a) deductively related to results of studies in the field of science. In the qualitative analysis, theory-based aspects of the evaluation were related to the data, then deduced and in a formal-contextual way structurized sensu Mayring (2000). And b) the data has been searched for everyday concepts, which were collected indicatively. Through processes of generalization categories were identified and communicatively validated.
In the process of Collection the data, the propositions (a proposition consists of two concepts linked by a labelled relation) within the Concept Maps were analysed under the named procedures. Over all 118 concepts were counted and 9 different categories could be identified which should be mentioned here in detail:
Scientific concepts: The most prominent concepts were wood as an example for a combustible material, which makes 24% of all scientific concepts and therefore is one of the most prominent concepts and water as a solution for extinguishing a fire which was named 25 times and makes 21% of all scientific concepts. A lot of other examples for a burning material were also named (paper, coal and hay), but surprisingly the candle or the burnt wax was only named three times. Even two children noticed that a fire needs a temperature for burning and 12 named a source of ignition like the lighter or matches.
Sensitive perception: The most frequently named sensitive perception was fire is hot (named 55 times). 9 times the generated heat was mentioned.
Destruction and dangerousness: The most important thing the students named under this aspect was that fire is dangerous not can be dangerous if handled wrongly. They also mentioned fire to be deathly.
Description of the phenomena: Often the students knew that a fire has a flame (named 21 times) and smoke occurs (named 23 times).
Own experiences: What is outstanding within this class is the experience of getting burnt.
Aesthetic dimensions: Students often described the fire with certain qualities of colour and smell.
Institution fire station: Almost all students named the fire station and their responsibility for extinguishing fires.
Word associations: Special German words are mentioned like the fire station, but rarely.
Historic dimension: Twice the invention of fire by the prehistoric men was mapped.
It is not remarkable that elementary school students have more everyday concepts than scientific concepts. Surprising, but is well in line with other research findings (Prieto et al. 1992; Rahayu et al. 1999) is the fact that there is a dominance of concepts that describe fire as being dangerous and destructive. These concepts even outweigh concepts that are based on own experiences. Working with scientific experiments can help to fill the gap of own experiences and can also influence the strong believe that fire is dangerous. Maybe making experiments can even help regarding fire less dangerous but to be handled well and that it requires certain care.
The collection of “scientific” and “everyday” concepts through the research method of Concept Mapping and their utilization for Educational Structuration in the sense of the model of Educational Reconstruction has been innovative. Through the results, the effect of emotional affected concepts in this specific content and their great influence on learning processes could be demonstrated.
In the past, the method of Concept Mapping has been proven to be very effective for adult learners (Juengst 1995; Bernd et al. 2000) as well as for the use of learning strategies (Fischer et al. 2000) and diagnostical knowledge research (Stracke 2003; Weber et al. 2000). Contrary to some assumptions, even young children are able to produce meaningful concept maps (Novak et al.1983; Novak et al. 1984).
According to this, the research question focuses on: Do elementary school children learn more efficient by using networking learning methods such as Concept Mapping?
Students’ cognitive abilities were investigated with the CPM-Test (Coloured Progressive Matrices by Raven). In form of inquiry learning, the students acquired the underlying chemical concepts of the topic burning and combustion which was embedded in an excursion to the chemical laboratory („CHEMOL“) at the University of Oldenburg.
Subsequent to this, two cognitively homogeneous groups recorded their knowledge by either taking traditional keyword-list (group A) or building up a Concept Map (group B). A follow-up knowledge test two weeks later was handed out to show the students overall knowledge.
A quantitative evaluation showed which of the two groups, the keywords-list-group (A) or the Concept-Mapping-group (B), has learned more effectively than the other group. Therefore all data have been investigated with a specific score-code: In the linear notes group all concepts have been counted, then the occurring misconceptions have been pointed out and finally the scientific concepts, which were taught in the intervention, have been counted. The same has been done for the Concept Mapping group, but additionally the frequency of cross links has been scored. These results have been compared with the data collected from the knowledge test.
The most interesting results were the fact that the amount of used scientific concepts within the Concept Maps have a positive effect on the score of the knowledge-test (r=.30*,N=48). And the level of networking within the Concept Maps has a positive effect on the score of the knowledge test (r=.80**,N=17). While the results also show that the level of cognitive ability of the students has no influence on the possibility to learn effectively with the method of concept mapping it can be used in educational surroundings to emphasize the scientific concepts and their function for burning processes. The degree of deeper understanding can be promoted through a directed use of certain concepts and the intention of maximum linking. How to force those processes without disturbing the process of construct knowledge is not yet defined.
The investigation of the students preconceptions brought up several hints to tie up to. Together with the predictions of the experts the aim is to find guidelines for the work with elementary school students where their special pre-knowledge is to be considered and included into the didactic requirements given by the experts. The method of concept mapping will form the promoter for learning concepts more efficient and therefore more lasting.
The topic burning and combustion implies several difficulties for young children. In terms of science content for elementary school students scientific knowledge can not in any case easily been achieved through experiments but requires the use of abstract model concepts (Harrison et al. 1996) as the interviews of the experts show. The analysis of the students’ conceptions showed a big variety of scientific as well as every day concepts. These concepts are often presented parallel to each other and seem to have no further connection which can be impressively demonstrated through the concept maps of the students. For educational purposes the idea of practical examination through experiments evoked to:
The investigation showed that using concept mapping as a learning method can have a positive effect on learning science in this specific content, because of the advantages in usage of learned concepts as well as the level of networking concepts which showed a positive effect on keeping in mind and understanding of new learned concepts. In this sense Concept Mapping can be proposed to be an effective learning tool to
Based on the model of Educational reconstruction the Educational Structuration forms the aim of my research work. Therefore the research object had to be examined from different perspectives. Different perspectives required different evaluation methods which evoked successively from the object itself. Alongside hermeneutic text analysis and inductive content analysis the study required quantitative analyses. To meet the requirements of the research task, research questions and research interests, a triangulated design (Flick 2004) was necessary and has proofed its value.
This Research Project was financially supported by a scholarship of the German Lichtenberg Stiftung and the International Graduate Program ProDid (Promotionsprogramm “Didaktische Rekonstruktion”) at the University of Oldenburg, Germany
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