A Lakatosian Conceptual Change Teaching Strategy Based on Student Ability to Build Models with Varying Degrees of Conceptual Understanding of Chemical Equilibrium

The main objective of this study is to construct a Lakatosian teaching strategy that can facilitate conceptual change in students' understanding of chemical equilibrium. The strategy is based on the premise that cognitive conflicts must have been engendered by the students themselves in trying to cope with different problem solving strategies. Results obtained (based on Venezuelan freshman students) show that the performance of the experimental group of students was generally better (especially on the immediate posttests) than that of the control group. It is concluded that a conceptual change teaching strategy must take into consideration the following aspects: a) core beliefs of the students in the topic (cf. 'hard core', Lakatos 1970); b) exploration of the relationship between core beliefs and student alternative conceptions (misconceptions); c) cognitive complexity of the core belief can be broken down into a series of related and probing questions; d) students resist changes in their core beliefs by postulating 'auxiliary hypotheses' in order to resolve their contradictions; e) students' responses based on their alternative conceptions must be considered not as wrong, but rather as models, perhaps in the same sense as used by scientists to break the complexity of a problem; and f) students' misconceptions be considered as alternative conceptions (theories) that compete with the present scientific theories and at times recapitulate theories scientists held in the past.     

Teaching algorithmic problem solving or conceptual understanding: Role of developmental level,mental capacity,and cognitive style

It has been shown previously that many students solve chemistry problems using only algorithmic strategies and do not understand the chemical concepts on which the problems are based. It is plausible to suggest that if the information is presented in differing formats, the cognitive demand of a problem changes. The main objective of this study is to investigate the degree to which cognitive variables, such as developmental level, mental capacity, and disembedding ability explain student performance on problems which: (1) could be addressed by algorithms or (2) require conceptual understanding. All conceptual problems used in this study were based on a figurative format. The results obtained show that in all four problems requiring algorithmic strategies, developmental level of the students is the best predictor of success. This could be attributed to the fact that these are basically computational problems, requiring mathematical transformations. Although all three problems requiring conceptual understanding had an important aspect in common (the figurative format), in all three the best predictor of success is a different cognitive variable. It was concluded that: (1) the ability to solve computational problems (based on algorithms) is not the major factor in predicting success in solving problems that require conceptual understanding; (2) solving problems based on algorithmic strategies requires formal operational reasoning to a certain degree; and (3) student difficulty in solving problems that require conceptual understanding could be attributed to different cognitive variables.     

A Conceptual Change Teaching Strategy to Facilitate High School Students' Understanding of Electrochemistry

Recent research in chemistry education has shown an increasing interest in the facilitation of conceptual change in student understanding of chemical concepts. Most of the studies have tried to show the difference in student performance on algorithmic and conceptual problems. The objective of this study is to go beyond and design a teaching strategy based on two teaching experiments that could facilitate students' conceptual understanding of electrochemistry. The study is based on two sections (control, n = 29; experimental, n = 28) of 10th grade high school students at a public school in Venezuela. Experimental group participated in two teaching experiments designed to generate situations/experiences in which students are forced to grapple with alternative responses leading to cognitive conflicts/contradictions. Results obtained show that learning electrochemistry involves both algorithmic and conceptual problems. On Posttest 1, 93% of the experimental group students responded correctly, in contrast to 39% of the control group. On Posttest 2, 39% of the experimental group responded correctly, in contrast to 0% of the Control group. The difference in performance on both posttests is statistically significant (p < 0.001). It is concluded that the teaching experiments facilitated students' understanding (progressive transitions) of electrochemistry.     

Examining the Tasks of Teaching When Using Students' Mathematical Thinking

Recent research suggests that the examination of students' work may lead to changes in teaching practice that are more effective in terms of students' mathematical learning. However, the link between the examination of students' work and the teachers' actions in the classroom is largely unexamined, particularly at the secondary level. In this paper, I present the results of a study in which teachers had extensive opportunities to examine the development of students' conceptual models of exponential growth in the context of their own classrooms. I describe two related aspects of the practice of one teacher: (a) how she listened to students' alternative solution strategies and (b) how she responded to these strategies in her practice. The results of the analysis suggest that as the teacher listened to her students, she developed a sophisticated schema for understanding the diversity of student thinking. The actions of the teacher supported extensive student engagement with the task and led the students to revise and refine their own mathematical thinking. This latter action reflects a significant shift in classroom practice from the role of the teacher as evaluator of student ideas to the role of students as self-evaluators of their emerging ideas.     

Effects of a Demonstration Laboratory on Student Learning

Laboratory and demonstration have long been used to supplement lecture in chemistry education. Current research indicates that students are better served by laboratories which exercise the higher-order cognitive skills, such as inquiry-based laboratories. However, the time and the resources available to perform these recommended types of laboratories are continually shrinking. Due to these factors, a demonstration-laboratory was designed to allow students to make observations through demonstration rather then through hands-on laboratory. For this study, the hands-on procedures of an inquiry style laboratory were replaced by an instructor demonstration of these same procedures. A significant difference was found between student conceptual understanding before and after the experiment, indicating that students performing the laboratory experiment and students viewing the demonstration-laboratory had an increase in conceptual understanding. However, no significant difference was found between the conceptual understanding of the two groups after the experiment, indicating that students learn roughly the same from both methods and that the demonstration-laboratory at least does no harm to the students conceptually. Long-term effects on student understanding were not measured. Student opinions comparing the demonstration laboratory to a hands-on laboratory were also collected and analyzed.     

Comparison of Students’ Performance on Algorithmic, Conceptual and Graphical Chemistry Gas Problems

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were significant differences in students’ performances amongst conceptual, algorithmic and graphical questions tests. Seventy-one eleventh-grade students were involved in this study. In order to assess students’ performance, conceptual, graphical and algorithmic questions tests were utilized. Students’ performances in each test were analyzed statistically. Statistical analysis using one-way ANOVA of student tests scores pointed to statistically significant differences amongst each of three test scores (P < 0.05) in favor of the conceptual test. Further analyses were conducted to compare one type of questions with others. From these comparisons, positive relationships were found between conceptual understanding and algorithmic understanding and between conceptual understanding and graphical understanding. Also, results obtained indicated that most of the students lack of graphical understanding. The results suggest that students need more training about graphical understanding.     

Assessing depth of sociocognitive processing in peer groups' science discussions

The purpose of this study was to apply the depth of cognitive processing construct to a social constructivist analysis of students' collaborative knowledge building in science. Ten sensemaking discussions of five groups of 8th grade students in five physical science classrooms were analysed. Sense-making discussions were defined by the teachers as those in which students explained thier laboratory observations, or construted, applied, and refined conceptual models of the nature of matter. Discussion diagrams were used to depict both the conceptual content and the reasoning processes within the peer groups' discussions. Depth of processing was judged by the extent to which students elaborated on and connected ideas, scrutinised and clarified propositions, constructed explanations rather than reiterated observations, and backed explanations with evidence. Two of the groups tended to process information on a surface level, while the other three groups tended to engage in deeper processing. The interplay of depth of sociocognitive processing with the motivational, cognitive, and discursive elements of groups' interactions are discussed, as is the relationship between accuracy of ideas and depth of processing. Finally, suggestions are made for how both student and teacher strategies can be enhanced to increase students' depth of sociocognitive processing when they collaboratively build knowledge with their peers.     

Enhancing Students' Understanding of Mathematics: A Study of Three Contrasting Approaches to Professional Support

This report provides evidence of the influence of professional development and curriculum on upper elementary students' understandings of fractions. Three groups of teachers and their students participated. Two groups implemented a fractions unit that emphasized problem solving and conceptual understanding. The Integrated Mathematics Assessment (IMA) group participated in a program designed to enhance teachers' understandings of fractions, students' thinking, and students' motivation. The Collegial Support (SUPP) group met regularly to discuss strategies for implementing the curriculum. Teachers in the third group (TRAD) valued and used textbooks and received no professional development support. Contrasts of student adjusted posttest scores revealed group differences on two scales. On the conceptual scale, IMA classrooms achieved greater adjusted posttest scores than the other two groups, with no differences between SUPP and TRAD groups. On the computation scale, contrasts revealed no differences between IMA and TRAD, although TRAD achieved greater adjusted scores than SUPP (p < 0.10). Our findings indicate that the benefits of reform curriculum for students may depend upon integrated professional development, one form exemplified by the IMA program. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Cognitive development and problem solving of Afro-American students in chemistry

The aims of this study were to investigate the level of cognitive development of Afro-American students enrolled in general chemistry courses at the college level and to determine the strategies used by both successful and unsuccessful Afro-American students in solving specific types of stoichiometric problems. It was found that the choice of a strategy is not significantly related to cognitive development of the student in specific types of stoichiometric problems. However, the following trend was noted: Students who are formal-operational in thought are more likely to be successful when solving mole-volume problems and complex mole-mole problems than are their concrete-operational counterparts. Additionally, a systematic strategy proved to be successful for the students, regardless of the cognitive development, when balancing simple and complex chemical equations. Also, algorithmic/reasoning strategies were needed to solve the mole-volume problem. A higher level of cognitive development and reasoning may be crucial factors in solving the more sophisticated types of problems in stoichiometry.     

Facilitating small-group learning: A comparison of student and staff tutors' behavior

This study focused on students' observations of student and staff tutors' behavior during two academic courses, using a thirtynine-item rating scale. The study took place within an integrated problem-based law curriculum. Six major factors in tutors' behavior were identified. Differences between student and staff tutors' performance were investigated. The results showed that student tutors were better at understanding the nature of the problems students face in attempting to master the subject-matter. Student tutors were also more interested in students' daily lives, study experiences and personalities. In addition, student tutors referred to end-of-course examinations more frequently than staff tutors to direct student learning. Alternatively, staff tutors used their subject-matter expertise more often and displayed more authoritarian behavior than student tutors. No differences were found with respect to tutors' focus on cooperation among group members. The results are interpreted in terms of the nature of the knowledge and experiences of students and staff with regard to problem-based learning and its requirements.     

Faculty Environments,Psychosocial Dispositions,and the Academic Achievement of College Students

Postsecondary institutions seek to create a pedagogical environment that increases students' knowledge, expands their powers of reasoning, and shapes their psychosocial dispositions. In this study, we examined a conceptual model of academic attainment including two aspects of the pedagogical environment experienced by students, namely the cognitive demands set by professors and the social support provided by both professors and other students. Along with these climate variables, three psychosocial dispositions of students, self-esteem, perceived academic control, and coping strategies, were also included. A sample of 854 undergraduate students in the faculties of Arts and Science from a mid-western Research-1 (Canadian) university was used to estimate the effect parameters in the model. The results suggest that both cognitive demands and social support affected the students 9 perceived academic control and coping strategies. In turn, the pedagogical environment and the psychosocial dispositions affected the students' academic achievement. Implications for establishing and maintaining supportive pedagogical environments and for helping students improve their perceived control and coping strategies are discussed.     

远程教育中学生主体作用发挥的障碍因素与对策分析

随着教育模式的变化，学生在学习中的地位也在发生变化。远程教育的突出特点就是学生的主体性作用加强，学生成为自主学习者和知识的探究者。教师的角色也发生了重要变化：由课堂教学的主宰变为学生自主学习的指导者，由知识的传授者变为学生认知力发展的帮助者，由教学信息资源的垄断者变为学生学习的导航者，由个体劳动行为变为群体劳动行为。为此，必须深入研究远程教育下的独特教学规律，分析影响学生主体性作用发挥的因素以及远程教育模式的现实性问题，以探索强化学生主体性教育的实施对策，提高教学效率。     

Enhancing Students' Understanding of Photosynthesis and Respiration in Plant Through Conceptual Change Approach

This study investigated the effectiveness of combining conceptual change text and discussion web strategies on students' understanding of photosynthesis and respiration in plants. Students' conceptual understanding of photosynthesis and respiration in plants was measured using the two-tier diagnostic test developed by Haslam and Treagust (1987, Journal of Biological Education 21: 203--211). The test was administered as pretest and posttest to a total of 233 eighth-grade students in six intact classes of the same school located in an urban area. The test of logical thinking was used to determine the reasoning ability of students. The experimental group was a class of 116 students received discussion web and conceptual change text instruction. A class of 117 students comprised the control group received a traditional instruction. After instruction, data were analyzed with two-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) using the Test of Logical Thinking and pretest scores as covariate. The conceptual change instruction, which explicitly dealt with students' misconceptions, produced significantly greater achievement in understanding of photosynthesis and respiration in plant concepts. Analysis also revealed a significant difference between performance of females and that of males in the favor of females, but the interaction of treatment with gender difference was not significant for learning the concepts.     

The Virtual Solar System Project: Developing Conceptual Understanding of Astronomical Concepts Through Building Three-Dimensional Computational Models

The Virtual Solar System (VSS) course described in this paper is one of the first attempts to integrate three-dimensional (3D) computer modeling as a central component of an introductory undergraduate astronomy course. Specifically, this study assessed the changes in undergraduate university students' understanding of astronomy concepts as a result of participating in an experimental introductory astronomy course in which the students constructed 3D models of different astronomical phenomena. In this study, we examined students' conceptual understanding concerning three foundational astronomical phenomena: the causes of lunar and solar eclipses, the causes of the Moon's phases, and the reasons for the Earth's seasons. Student interviews conducted prior to the course identified a range of student alternative conceptions previously identified in the literature regarding the dynamics and mechanics of the Solar System. A previously undocumented alternative conception to explain lunar eclipses is identified in this paper. The interviews were repeated at the end of the course in order to quantitatively and qualitatively assess any changes in student conceptual understanding. Generally, the results of this study revealed that 3D computer modeling can be a powerful tool in supporting student conceptualization of abstract scientific phenomena. Specifically, 3D computer modeling afforded students the ability to visualize abstract 3D concepts such as the line of nodes and transform them into conceptual tools, which in turn, supported the development of scientifically sophisticated conceptual understandings of many basic astronomical topics. However, there were instances where students' conceptual understanding was incomplete and frequently hybridized with their existing conceptions. These findings have significant bearing on when and in what domains 3D computer modeling can be used to support student conceptual understanding of astronomy concepts.     

Can students be helped to learn how to learn? An evaluation of an Approaches to Learning programme for first year degree students

This study reports on an attempt to improve the quality of student learning by integrating an Approaches to Learning programme, consisting of 8 workshops, into the first year Psychology curriculum. Written accounts of students' conceptions of learning were collected at the beginning and end of the programme. Content analysis showed that there was a significant shift from naive to more sophisticated conceptions (29% to 60%) in students who had attended more than half the workshops, by the end of the programme. The programme also showed several significant benefits on students' academic performance. Students who attended all the workshops on essay writing and examination taking, obtained higher essay and examination marks than students who did not attend these workshops.However, when we looked at the effects on academic performance of taking a deep approach and holding a more sophisticated conception of learning, the findings were not so clear cut. Depending on the measure used, there was conflicting evidence about whether examination performance or essay performance benefitted the most. The implications of these results are discussed with particular reference to the role of assessment, in enhancing the quality of student learning.     

Assessment of the effects of student response systems on student learning and attitudes over a broad range of biology courses

With the advent of wireless technology, new tools are available that are intended to enhance students' learning and attitudes. To assess the effectiveness of wireless student response systems in the biology curriculum at New Mexico State University, a combined study of student attitudes and performance was undertaken. A survey of students in six biology courses showed that strong majorities of students had favorable overall impressions of the use of student response systems and also thought that the technology improved their interest in the course, attendance, and understanding of course content. Students in lower-division courses had more strongly positive overall impressions than did students in upper-division courses. To assess the effects of the response systems on student learning, the number of in-class questions was varied within each course throughout the semester. Students' performance was compared on exam questions derived from lectures with low, medium, or high numbers of in-class questions. Increased use of the response systems in lecture had a positive influence on students' performance on exam questions across all six biology courses. Students not only have favorable opinions about the use of student response systems, increased use of these systems increases student learning.     

The impact of the medium of instruction: The case of teaching and learning of computer programming

Despite the seemingly good prospects in the Information Technology (IT) industry, the expected number of students who are interested in the relevant subjects has been limited. While numerous studies have explored the influence of various variables on programming course participation and performance at a personal level, there have been few studies conducted at a policy level. This study examined the impact of the medium of instruction (MOI) on student learning of computer programming in Hong Kong. It also examined the effects of gender and prior academic ability on programming performance. No gender differences in programming performance were found in the sample after prior academic ability was controlled. Prior academic ability affected performance differentially. Chinese-medium instructed students tended to outperform their English-medium instructed counterparts and middle and low-ability students in English-medium schools were notably at-risk. In view of these results, we argue that the MOI issue is further complicated by student ability. This provides a new understanding of the impact of the MOI on student learning. At a policy level, the results offer empirical evidence for policy-makers to rethink the current MOI policy. At a school level, we propose some metacognitive and cognitive strategies to address the needs of those at-risk learners. Finally, we intend to raise a series of questions that warrant further discussion and investigation.     

Long-term development of learning activity: Motivational,cognitive, and social interaction

Recent research on school learning has dealt only with cognitive aspects of the student activity. However, in typical learning and performance situations, the student is expected to cope with complex social and emotional challenges. We developed a theoretical model that describes typical patterns of coping strategies that students use in school situations. The dominating tendency of some students in school situations is task orientation. Such students are oriented to interpret and fulfill the demands of learning tasks. In contrast, other students are sensitive to the threat of failure and show ego-oriented coping strategies. A third group of students relies on social-dependence coping. Orientation tendencies originate in classroom situations, but are then continuously reproduced and reinforced in similar teaching interactions. A multimethod approach was used to test this theoretical model. Longitudinal case studies have demonstrated the cumulation and reinforcement processes of coping tendencies in teaching interactions. Classroom interaction studies have provided evidence of the strong interaction between cognitive processes and socioemotional orientation. Finally, intervention studies have shown that, to improve the use of cognitive strategies, coping strategies also have to be changed.