A Systemic View of the Learning and Differentiation of Scientific Concepts: The Case of Electric Current and Voltage Revisited

Autor/inn/en	Koponen, Ismo T.; Kokkonen, Tommi
Titel	A Systemic View of the Learning and Differentiation of Scientific Concepts: The Case of Electric Current and Voltage Revisited
Quelle	In: Frontline Learning Research, 2 (2014) 3, S.140-166 (27 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	2295-3159
Schlagwörter	Scientific Concepts; Physics; Prediction; Models; Graphs; Science Instruction; Concept Formation; Comparative Analysis; Secondary School Students; Teaching Methods; Energy; Computer Simulation + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Physik; Vorhersage; Analogiemodell; Grafische Darstellung; Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Concept learning; Begriffsbildung; Sekundarschüler; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Energie; Computergrafik; Computersimulation
Abstract	In learning conceptual knowledge in physics, a common problem is the incompleteness of a learning process, where students' personal, often undifferentiated concepts take on more scientific and differentiated form. With regard to such concept learning and differentiation, this study proposes a systemic view in which concepts are considered as complex, dynamically evolving structures. The dynamics of the concept learning and differentiation is driven by the competition of model utility in explaining the evidence. Based on the systemic view, we introduce computational model, which represents the essential features of the conceptual system in the form of directed graph (DGM), where concepts are nodes connected to other conceptual elements (nodes) in the graph. The results of a DGM are then compared to the empirical findings to identify differentiation between concepts of electric current and voltage based on a re-analysis of previously published empirical findings on upped secondary school students' learning paths in the context of DC circuits. The comparison shows that the model predicts and explains many relevant, empirically observed features of the learning paths of concept learning and differentiation, such as: 1) Context-dependent dynamics, 2) the persistence of ontological shift and concept differentiation, and 3) the effects of communication on individual learning paths. The systemic view and the DGM model based on it make these generic features of interest in concept learning and differentiation understandable and show that these features are associated with the guidance of theoretical knowledge. Finally, we discuss briefly the implications of the results on teaching and instruction. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction. Peterseliegang 1, Box 1, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. e-mail: info@frontlinelearningresearch.org; Web site: http://journals.sfu.ca/flr/index.php/journal/index
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01