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Effect of conceptual change approach accompanied with concept mapping on understanding of solution concepts

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of conceptual change texts accompanied with concept mapping instruction, compared to traditional instruction (TI), on 8th grade students’ understanding of solution concepts and their attitudes toward science as a school subject. Solution Concept Test was developed as a result of examination of related literature and interviews with teachers regarding their observations of students’ difficulties. The test was administered to a total of 64 eighth grade students from two classes of a general science course, taught by the same teacher. The experimental group received the conceptual change texts accompanied with concept mapping in a lecture by the teacher. This instruction explicitly dealt with students’ misconceptions. It was designed to suggest conditions in which misconceptions could be replaced by scientific conceptions and new conceptions could be integrated with existing conceptions. The control group received TI in which the teacher provided instruction through lecture and discussion methods. The results showed that conceptual change text accompanied with concept mapping instruction caused a significantly better acquisition of scientific conceptions related to solution concept and produced significantly higher positive attitudes toward science as a school subject than the TI. In addition, logical thinking ability and prior learning were strong predictors for the concept learning related to solution.

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  1. Department of Secondary Science and Mathematics Education, , Middle East Technical University, Ankara, 06531, Turkey

    Esen Uzuntiryaki & Ömer Geban

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  1. Esen Uzuntiryaki
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Uzuntiryaki, E., Geban, Ö. Effect of conceptual change approach accompanied with concept mapping on understanding of solution concepts. Instr Sci 33, 311–339 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-005-2812-z

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