Alternative Conceptions Concerning the Earth's Interior Exhibited by Honduran Students

Autor/inn/en	Capps, Daniel K.; McAllister, Meredith; Boone, William J.
Titel	Alternative Conceptions Concerning the Earth's Interior Exhibited by Honduran Students
Quelle	In: Journal of Geoscience Education, 61 (2013) 2, S.231-239 (9 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1089-9995
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Scientific Concepts; Misconceptions; Earth Science; Qualitative Research; Freehand Drawing; Interviews; Preadolescents; Early Adolescents; Science Education; Elementary School Students; Honduras + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Missverständnis; Earth sciences; Geowissenschaften; Qualitative Forschung; Drawing; Zeichnen; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Pre-adolescence; Präadoleszenz; Naturwissenschaftliche Bildung
Abstract	Although multiple studies of misconceptions in Earth science have been completed using samples of North American and European students and teachers, little research has been conducted on alternative Earth science conceptions in developing countries. The current study was conducted in 5th- and 6th-grade classrooms in eastern Honduras, Central America. The goal of the study was to gather data documenting Honduran students' conceptions of the Earth's interior. This qualitative study used participant-generated drawings and interviews to access students' conceptions of the Earth's interior. Results suggest that Honduran students, ages 9-14 y, express varying levels of understanding regarding this science concept. Many exhibit alternative conceptions, including nonconcentric layers in the Earth; the presence of physical objects, such as houses, inside the Earth; and the existence of mythical creatures within the Earth. This study provides data relevant to geoscience education in Honduras, has implications for geoscience education in tectonically active regions where Earth science is not a major part of the curriculum, and offers suggestions for teaching abstract Earth science concepts to concrete learners. The study also provides information for educators that teach students who are recent immigrants from Honduras and for those who teach students of limited language and/or reading proficiency. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	National Association of Geoscience Teachers. Carleton College W-SERC, One North College Street, Northfield, MN 55057. Tel: 540-568-6675; Fax: 540-568-8058; e-mail: jge@jmu.edu; Website: http://nagt-jge.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01