Employing Conceptual Change and Inquiry-Based Strategies with African American K-12 Science Students: A Reflection on Two Classroom Based Piloted Studies

Autor/in	Pinder, Patrice J.
Titel	Employing Conceptual Change and Inquiry-Based Strategies with African American K-12 Science Students: A Reflection on Two Classroom Based Piloted Studies
Quelle	(2013), (23 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Concept Formation; Misconceptions; Elementary Secondary Education; African American Students; Educational Games; Science Instruction; Elementary School Students; Physics; Science Laboratories; High School Students; Change Strategies; Inquiry; Blacks; Scientific Concepts; Grade 11; Teaching Methods; Georgia (Atlanta); Maryland (Baltimore) + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Concept learning; Begriffsbildung; Missverständnis; African Americans; Student; Students; Afroamerikaner; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Educational game; Lernspiel; Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Physik; High school; High schools; Oberschule; Lösungsstrategie; Black person; Schwarzer; School year 11; 11. Schuljahr; Schuljahr 11; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode
Abstract	The process of conceptual change can be described as a three phase process. The first phase involves students' possession of initial naive "conceptions/misconceptions," the second phase involves students undergoing a process of "assimilation," and the third phase involves students undergoing a radical process called "accommodation." Posner, Strike, Hewson, & Gertzog (1982) describe "assimilation" as a process in which students combine their initial "naive conceptions or misconceptions" of a concept with new pieces of "truths" about that concept. Thus, the misconception and "truths" coexist within students' thought processes, neither one replacing or substituting the other. When the student/students' misconceptions are replaced by "truths" about the concept being taught, this radical form of conceptual change is called "accommodation" (Posner, Strike, Hewson, & Gertzog, 1982). According to Ozdemir and Clark (2007), conceptual change researchers have made tremendous progress in respect to enhancing the "knowledge-as-theory perspective" and "knowledge-as-elements perspectives." However, it is felt that the "knowledge-as-elements perspectives" has not been as widely researched as the "knowledge-as-theory perspectives." Also, relatively few studies on conceptual change and inquiry-based learning focus on Black/African American K-12 students. Thus, my previous pilot studies outlined in this paper address the aforementioned gaps in the literature. The first study present findings on the use of instructional games to improve science learning among African American elementary school students and the second study reveals findings on the use of an innovative physics lab practical, which was used with African American high school students. The findings of the two studies showed that the employment of conceptual change strategies and inquiry learning with African American students led to improvement in their understanding of general science and physics concepts, which ultimately led to higher test scores (evident from students' post-test scores). (As Provided).
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01