Elementary Students' Mental Models of the Solar System

Autor/inn/en	Calderon-Canales, Elena; Flores-Camacho, Fernando; Gallegos-Cazares, Leticia
Titel	Elementary Students' Mental Models of the Solar System
Quelle	In: Astronomy Education Review, 12 (2013) 1, S.010108-1 (17 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1539-1515
DOI	10.3847/AER2012044
Schlagwörter	Foreign Countries; Elementary School Students; Elementary School Science; Astronomy; Scientific Concepts; Cognitive Processes; Models; Illustrations; Age Differences; Interviews; Concept Formation; Mexico + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Ausland; Astronomie; Cognitive process; Kognitiver Prozess; Analogiemodell; Bildliche Darstellung; Age; Difference; Age difference; Altersunterschied; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Concept learning; Begriffsbildung; Mexiko
Abstract	This research project aimed to identify and analyze Mexican primary school students' ideas about the components of the solar system. In particular, this study focused on conceptions of the solar system and representations of the dynamics of the solar system based on the functional and structural models that students make in school. Using a Euclidean distance-based cluster analysis, six different models of the solar system were identified. The results of this study suggest that these models do not specifically correlate to one school grade. The identified models vary in complexity, not only by the number of components but also by the dynamic interactions and distributions of the elements that comprise the models. This diversity of models shows that students do not simply reproduce the diagrams in their textbooks or the diagrams that they have access to in their environment. Though the oldest children's models approach textbook diagrams in the more complex models, up and down movements are still present in children's explanations of their models. (Contains 10 tables and 8 figures.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	American Astronomical Society. 2000 Florida Avenue NW Suite 400, Washington, DC 20009. Tel: 800-874-6383; Fax: 516-349-9704; e-mail: help@scitation.org; Web site: http://aer.aip.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10