Enhancing Pre-service Elementary Teachers' Conceptual Understanding of Solution Chemistry with Conceptual Change Text

This paper reports on the use of a constructivist-based pedagogy to enhance understanding of some features of solution chemistry. Pre-service science teacher trainees' prior knowledge about the dissolution of salts and sugar in water were elicited by the use of a simple diagnostic tool. The test revealed widespread alternative conceptions. These evaluation data were used to produce two segments of ‘conceptual change text’: concise summaries that present alternative and scientific conceptualizations for the concepts under study. The texts were administered to 21 pre-service elementary trainee teachers whose understandings of number of conceptions were subsequently re-evaluated employing a pre-test post-test approach in which their answers and reasons for their answers were solicited. The findings suggest that these pre-service elementary trainees' alternative conceptions are changed to become more in accord with the scientific view, with more participants providing correct answers along with correct reasons than before the intervention. This work suggests that the use of conceptual change text may provide a simple and cost and resource-effective way to aid conceptual understanding for the dissolution of ionic solids in water including the effect of solute surface on the dissolution process.     

Effect of Two-tier Diagnostic Tests on Promoting Learners’ Conceptual Understanding of Variables in Conducting Scientific Experiments

Taking a test generally improves the retention of the material tested. This is a phenomenon commonly referred to as testing effect. The present research investigated whether two-tier diagnostic tests promoted student teachers’ conceptual understanding of variables in conducting scientific experiments, which is a scientific process skill. In this study, 97 preservice science teachers were divided into three groups. All three groups took a physics laboratory course during the fall term in which they learned about variables in the course. Each group was engaged in a different learning activity after the physics laboratory course: taking a two-tier diagnostic test, taking a multiple choice test, or studying a lecture summary. The narratives of the participants before and after the learning activities were transcribed into a format of flow maps to assess their conceptual understanding of variables. The results revealed that the two-tier diagnostic test is an effective tool in promoting conceptual understanding of complex concepts about variables in conducting scientific experiments.     

Modelling online community constructs through interaction data: A learning analytics based Approach

Education and Information Technologies - This study aims to use LMS log data to suggest a way to understand CoI constructs. Students’ interactions in Moodle components were weighted for...     

Psychological need satisfaction and academic stress in college students: mediator role of grit and academic self-efficacy

European Journal of Psychology of Education - Students, who are trying to complete academic activities in an educational environment, are objected to academic stress. Research results indicated...