Alternative Conceptions in Animal Classification Focusing on Amphibians and Reptiles: A Cross-Age Study

Autor/inn/en	Yen, Chiung-Fen; Yao, Tsung-Wei; Chiu, Yu-Chih
Titel	Alternative Conceptions in Animal Classification Focusing on Amphibians and Reptiles: A Cross-Age Study
Quelle	In: International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 2 (2004) 2, S.159-174 (16 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1571-0068
DOI	10.1007/s10763-004-1951-z
Schlagwörter	Animals; Classification; Misconceptions; Elementary School Science; Scientific Concepts; Concept Formation; High School Students; Elementary School Students; Secondary School Science; Junior High School Students; Comprehension; Interviews; Multiple Choice Tests + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Animal; Tier; Tiere; Classification system; Klassifikation; Klassifikationssystem; Missverständnis; Concept learning; Begriffsbildung; High school; High schools; Student; Students; Oberschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Junior High Schools; Sekundarstufe I; Verstehen; Verständnis; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Multiple choice examinations; Multiple-choice tests, Multiple-choice examinations; Multiple-Choice-Verfahren
Abstract	This study examined students' alternative conceptions of reptiles and amphibians and the extent to which these conceptions remain intact through the elementary (grades 4 and 6), junior, and senior high school years. We administered multiple-choice and free-response instruments to a total of 513 students and interviewed at least 20 students at each educational level to get an in-depth view of their original conceptions. Then, we developed and administered a two-tier multiple choice diagnostic instrument to assess various levels of students' understanding of amphibians and reptiles(N=1267). The results showed that most students were able to classify snakes as reptiles, whereas fewer than 30% of the students across different ages classified sea turtles as reptiles; the remaining 70% classified sea turtles as amphibians. More students were able to correctly classify frogs as amphibians than toads. In most instances, students correctly classified "prototypical" representatives of the two animal classes more readily than less exemplary representatives, a finding that supports previous research (Trowbridge, J.E. and Mintzes, J.J. (1988). Alternative conceptions in animal classification: A cross-age study. "Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 25"(7), 547-571). Interestingly, the alternative views of sea turtles as amphibians remained intact throughout the school years. Interview data indicated that students classified sea turtles as amphibians largely because sea turtles are able to live in terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Semantically, "amphi" means living on land and in water. When asked to distinguish between reptiles and amphibians and to classify several species into those two groups, a wide range of alternative conceptions emerged and the origin of those alternative conceptions are discussed. Similar results were obtained when we applied a two-tier multiple-choice diagnostic instrument to assess students' understanding of amphibians and reptiles. (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10