The Stable and Persistent Alternative Conceptions Present in Prospective Elementary Teachers' Understanding of Average Speed

Autor/inn/en	Subramaniam, Karthigeyan; Long, Christopher S.; Harrell, Pamela Esprivalo; Khan, Nazia
Titel	The Stable and Persistent Alternative Conceptions Present in Prospective Elementary Teachers' Understanding of Average Speed
Quelle	In: Journal of College Science Teaching, 51 (2022) 4, S.58-64 (7 Seiten) PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0047-231X
Schlagwörter	Knowledge Level; Elementary School Teachers; Preservice Teachers; Pretests Posttests; Misconceptions; Scientific Concepts + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Wissensbasis; Elementary school; Teacher; Teachers; Grundschule; Volksschule; Lehrer; Lehrerin; Lehrende; Missverständnis
Abstract	This study investigated the stability and persistence of prospective elementary teachers' conceptual understanding of average speed. A questionnaire containing two questions about average speed was administered to the prospective teachers prior to their admission to an elementary science methods course (pretest) and at the end of the course (posttest). The pretest was administered to 84 prospective teachers, and the posttest was administered to 55 prospective teachers from the original sample of 84. A two-tier coding scheme was used to categorize responses as accurate and inaccurate definitions of average speed and to categorize the features of explanations of average speed. A chi-square test was carried out to test for statistical significance. Analysis of data indicated that prospective teachers used the conceptual understanding of speed to explain average speed. In addition to providing this explanation, prospective teachers used their conceptual understanding of average to explain average speed--that is, average speed as resulting from the calculation of the average of three or more recordings of an object's speed. The reasons for the two stable and persistent alternative conceptions could be that participants in this study were exposed to K-16 instruction that did not identify, label, represent, and distinguish the concept of average speed as a complex concept. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	National Science Teaching Association. 1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201-3000. Tel: 800-722-6782; Fax: 703-243-3924; e-mail: membership@nsta.org; Web site: https://www.nsta.org/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2024/1/01