Abstract
Constructing explanations of scientific phenomena is a high-leverage practice that promotes student understanding. In the context of this study, we acknowledge that children are used to receiving explanations from teachers. However, they are rarely encouraged to construct explanations about the causes and consequences of phenomena. We modified a strategy to elicit and analyze primary students’ reasoning based on scientific theory as a methodological advance in learning and cognition. The participants were fourth-graders of middle socioeconomic status in Chile’s geographical zone with high seismic risk. They drew explanations about the causes and consequences of earthquakes during a learning unit of eighteen hours oriented toward explanation-construction based on the Tectonic Plates Theory. A constant comparative method was applied to analyze drawings and characterize students’ reasoning used in pictorial representations, following the first coding step of the qualitative Grounded Theory approach. The results show the students expressed progressive levels of reasoning. However, several participants expressed explanations based on the phenomena causes even at an early stage of formal learning. More sophisticated reasoning regarding the scientific theory underpinning earthquakes was found at the end of the learning unit. We discuss approaching elementary students’ scientific reasoning in explanations based on theory, connected with context-based science education.
Highlights
Instructional practices that are central to learning are called high-leverage practices [1].Constructing explanations based on evidence derived from inquiry processes [2] or underpinned by scientific theories or principles is relevant for mobilizing students’ understanding of natural phenomena in science classrooms [3].Constructing better explanations continuously provides an organizational and educational framework for designing science teaching and learning experiences [4]
The current study focuses on analyzing pictorial representations of a specific phenomenon, earthquakes, in elementary school students to understand better the process of eliciting their causal reasoning through drawn explanations during a learning sequence
To expand the applicability and address explanations of regular primary students, we developed a first pilot qualitative analysis of a set of learning samples composed of drawings using the constant comparative method as the primary coding process of Grounded Theory [54]
Summary
Instructional practices that are central to learning are called high-leverage practices [1].Constructing explanations based on evidence derived from inquiry processes [2] or underpinned by scientific theories or principles is relevant for mobilizing students’ understanding of natural phenomena in science classrooms [3].Constructing better explanations continuously provides an organizational and educational framework for designing science teaching and learning experiences [4]. Constructing explanations based on evidence derived from inquiry processes [2] or underpinned by scientific theories or principles is relevant for mobilizing students’ understanding of natural phenomena in science classrooms [3]. Elementary school students’ explanation construction has been researched primarily in developed countries, i.e., [5]. In primary school, exploring and fostering students’ explanation construction at the same time is difficult because the students are at the entry points to learn the theories, concepts, or principles. They start developing writing skills and knowing to use the diverse genres in science education [6]. Misinterpreting students’ knowledge because of them having diminished writing skills is likely to happen
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