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| Autor/in | Twidle, John |
|---|---|
| Titel | Is the Concept of Conservation of Volume in Solids Really More Difficult than for Liquids, or Is the Way We Test Giving Us an Unfair Comparison? |
| Quelle | In: Educational Research, 48 (2006) 1, S.93-109 (17 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift
PDF als Volltext |
| Sprache | englisch |
| Dokumenttyp | gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz |
| ISSN | 0013-1881 |
| Schlagwörter | Foreign Countries; Conservation (Concept); Science Activities; Age Differences; Scientific Concepts; Concept Formation; Misconceptions; Cognitive Processes; United Kingdom (England) |
| Abstract | Background: Traditional studies of children's mastery of conservation of volume in liquids and solids have reported that conservation of volume in liquids is an easier concept to master than its solid counterpart. However, the two concepts have been assessed in different ways, with the assessment tool for solids employing a more complex process. Purpose: The study compares children's mastery of the concepts of liquid and solid volume conservation when assessed in comparable ways. Sample: A total of 644 children, between the ages of 9 and 14 years, participated in part one of the study and attended mixed-gender, non-selective schools (achieving at or close to the national average in public examinations at ages 11 and 14) in the Midlands region of England. A total of 104 children, aged 9 and 10 years, participated in part two of the study and attended similar schools (achieving at or above the national average in public examinations for 11-year-old children) in the Midlands and Home Counties regions of England. Design and methods: The initial stage of the study was carried out with the cooperation of opportunity samples of children from each school and represented a cross-section of abilities within the schools. Part one was designed, using established methods, to establish the hierarchy of concept mastery and identify the most appropriate age range of children with which to carry out the second part of the investigation. Part two was designed to investigate if the same hierarchy of concept mastery existed when both liquid and solid volume conservation were assessed in a comparable manner. The chronology of the study was: part one and replication, followed by part two and culminating, in summer 2004, with part two replication. Analysis of results was by a simple percentage comparison, coupled with a categorization of accompanying explanations. Results: When assessed in a traditional manner, by Year 5 (ages 9-10) some 81.7 percent had mastered the concept of conservation of volume in liquids, rising to 92.5 percent by Year 9 (ages 13-14). Comparable figures for solid volume conservation were 51.7 percent rising to 71.7 percent, and for displacement, 11.7 percent rising to 67.9 percent. When mastery of liquid and solid volume conservation was assessed in equivalent ways, children still found the concept easier to master with liquids (61.8 percent) than solids (19.6 percent). Conclusions: A hierarchy of development exists within the concepts of displacement, solid and liquid volume conservation. The most common misconception among children who have not yet mastered the concept of displacement by solids (and to a lesser extent liquids) is for them to attribute the volume displaced to the material's weight. A significant proportion of children entering secondary schools had not mastered some of the concepts we might have expected. Even when liquid and solid volume conservation were assessed in a comparable manner, children still found liquid volume conservation easier to master. Children were not consistent in the logic they employed to explain seemingly parallel situations. (Author). |
| Anmerkungen | Customer Services for Taylor & Francis Group Journals, 325 Chestnut Street, Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420 (Toll Free); Fax: 215-625-8914. |
| Erfasst von | ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC |
| Update | 2017/4/10 |
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