Demystifying the Role of Language in representing students’ understanding of Science concepts

Akhilesh Mishra

doi:10.17485/ijst/v14i27.820

Abstract

Aims: To explore the role of language in the representation of students’ understanding of concepts in the oral as well as the written form through collaborative concept mapping (CCM). The study attempts to identify the nature of difficulties faced by students in the same. Method: A descriptive research design was used for the study. A school was selected purposely of which all the 28 students of a section of class IX were taken as the sample to represent their understanding of selected science concepts through collaborative concept mapping. Students formed 9 groups to draw the concept maps collaboratively. The whole process of CCM by each group was observed to identify the students’ actual understanding of the science concepts. The concept maps made by each group were examined qualitatively to compare the representation of students’ knowledge in the written form with their actual understanding. Findings: In the study language was found to play an important role in the concrete representation of knowledge in the form of a graphic organizer like a concept map also. Some concepts were identified in the study which were discussed among the group members but not included in the map due to their inability to select appropriate linking words. It was also found that technical terms and labels in science posed a challenge for students. But, in some cases CCmaps provided them a tool through which the correct comprehension of the concepts can be given a concrete form despite having the limited knowledge of language. Novelty: The study provides an insight into the application of CCM as an assessment technique by teachers to compare the students’ cognitive structures and their overt representation on paper. It has also identified a specific form of concept map by which students can represent their understanding with the limited knowledge of language. Keywords: Role of language; Collaborative Concept mapping; understanding of concepts; representation of knowledge; Science

Highlights

Science as a school subject deals with many complex and abstract concepts at the secondary stage
The study gives an insight that teachers can use it as a diagnostic tool as the discourse generated at the time of concept mapping (CCM) activity reveals the process of knowledge construction in students explicitly which can be used to identify the points of difficulty in understanding the concepts
The point is to be mentioned that the present study is limited to certain selected topics of science in which spoke type concept maps may be able to communicate the students’ knowledge but it may not be possible to make spoke type concept maps in every given topic

Summary

Introduction

Science as a school subject deals with many complex and abstract concepts at the secondary stage. These are sometimes found difficult to understand by students. Teachers are not able to assess the students’ understanding of such concepts as students cannot express them. In order to assess and evaluate students’ conceptual frameworks of these concepts, teachers have to make students represent their knowledge either in spoken or written forms. It is important in representing these concepts on paper It affects the true assessment of the students’ knowledge. To overcome these problems teachers should give them the provision of using an alternate method like pictorial representation of their conceptual frameworks. The visual image representation can be an advantage in effectiveness and in efficiency [4]

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Conclusion