Our(?) Concept of Food or, They are Eating Their Pets

In this paper, I present two tools that help shed light on deep disagreements and their epistemological consequences. First, I argue that we are best off construing deep disagreements as disagreements over conflicting understandings of certain concepts. More specifically, I suggest that deep disagreements are disagreements over how to understand concepts that play what Michael Friedman calls a “constitutive” role for speakers. Second, I argue that we need a better understanding of what speakers are doing when they engage in deep disagreements—what speech acts they are carrying out. I show that we are best off not reducing the relevant speech acts to more familiar speech act kinds, such as assertions or imperatives. I argue that when a speaker articulates an understanding of a concept, they are in part carrying out an act of stipulation. I provide an account of the pragmatics of stipulation and apply the account to examples of deep disagreement. Focusing on the stipulative dimension of deep disagreement opens up, in turn, a novel approach to defusing the epistemological challenges such disagreement seems to pose.

The learning process can be achieved when there is a change in students' understanding of concepts in a better direction. These changes can be realized by the existence of an alternative learning model. The purpose of this study was to analyze the conceptual changes experienced by students on the material of rotational dynamics through the learning cycle 6E learning model. This research is a type of qualitative research with a descriptive approach. The research results obtained are an increase in understanding of student concepts based on the results of the analysis of the pre-test post-test answers and student observation in carrying out learning. The tendency of students shows students A and B in the level of change is in complementation, students C and D are in construction, students E and F are in revision, and students G and H do not experience conceptual change or no conceptual change.

Underpinning science education reform movements in the last 20 years—at all levels and within all disciplines—is an explicit shift in the goals of science teaching from students simply creating a knowledge base of scientific facts to students developing deeper understandings of major concepts within a scientific discipline. For example, what use is a detailed working knowledge of the chemical reactions of the Krebs cycle without a deeper understanding of the relationship between these chemical reactions of cellular respiration and an organism’s need to harvest energy from food? This emphasis on conceptual understanding in science education reform has guided the development of standards and permeates all major science education reform policy docu

The purpose of this research was to determine the effect of conceptual change oriented instruction using Conceptual Change Texts (CCT) toward the physics education students’ conceptual understandings in kinematic. The research used quasi-experimental method with pre-test and post-test control group design. The sample was selected based on purposive sampling technique comprised of two groups of students from two different campuses of a public university in South Sumatra, Indonesia. The instrument used was the Indonesian version of the Force Concept Inventory (FCI). The data was analyzed to determine the mean N-gain of the experimental and control group while the independent sample U-test by α = 0,05 were used to test the hypothesis. The findings showed that 1) there were some students’ alternative conceptions with the level of their conceptual understanding 26,2%, 2) the mean N-gain of experimental and control group were 41,85% and 1,60% respectively, and 3) there was a significant difference increases in students’ conceptual understanding between who were taught using conceptual change texts and conventional one. Therefore, in terms of alternative conceptions held by students, teachers can use conceptual texts teaching materials to facilitate students’ conceptual change.

A number of challenges are currently impacting the quality of Earth science education in Australia. These include the introduction of a new Australian Curriculum that requires students learn about abstract Earth science concepts; the inadequacy of teachers' professional knowledge to address pedagogically these demands; the limitations of teacher education to alleviate pre-service teachers' perceived pedagogical inadequacy in teaching Earth science; and issues of students' durably held alternative conceptions about Earth science phenomena and perceived disengagement with the subject. These challenges call for research that investigates the efficacy of innovative conceptual change pedagogies that promote students' engagement with Earth science and enhance their conceptual understanding. In response to this need, this study investigated the value of using student-generated stopmotion animation, or 'slowmation', as a conceptual change instructional approach. This study employed a mixed-methods intervention research design, generating both quantitative and qualitative data, in order to investigate three research questions: (1) Does the process of constructing a slowmation have a significant effect on students' conceptual change? (2) How does the process of constructing a slowmation influence students' conceptual change; and (3) Is students' interest, generated by the construction of a slowmation, a significant predictor of conceptual change? Four classes of Year 9 students participated in this study. Two classes were treated as an intervention group and participated in the construction of a slowmation (N=52), while two comparison classes experienced 'teaching as usual' (N=43). All students in the intervention and comparison conditions completed a two-tiered multiple-choice test (i.e., the GeoQuiz), developed and validated by the researcher, which tested students' alternative Earth science conceptions before and after their participation in the study. A Likert-style survey that gauged students' interest in learning science, the Student Interest in Learning Science (SILS) Survey, was also administered to all students before and after the project. Selected students from the intervention condition were audio recorded to capture their discussions during the construction process, and the same students were interviewed about their learning experience upon completion of the project. In answer to the first research question, a significant improvement was found in the GeoQuiz scores of students who constructed a slowmation, which indicates that conceptual change occurred. At the same time, a significant improvement was also found for students in the comparison classes. This suggests that creating a slowmation was no more effective in bringing about conceptual change than teaching as usual. In response to the second research question, analysis of the qualitative data in this study found that the construction process afforded 'teachable moments' as students recursively checked the accuracy of their representations with their teacher. The construction process also stimulated students' enjoyment, which they perceived to enhance their learning. Despite these affordances, however, significant pedagogical considerations arose from the use of slowmation as an instructional strategy in a junior secondary school context. These issues appeared to inhibit opportunities for conceptual change to occur. Finally, in answer to the third research question, it was found that students' interest in learning about science, and geology, was significantly greater if they participated in the construction of a slowmation, compared to teaching as usual. Interest was also found to be a significant predictor of students' conceptual change. The findings from this study have important implications for understanding the value of using slowmation construction as a conceptual change strategy in a junior secondary science context. As such, they informed the development of a pedagogical framework, the Learning with Slowmation framework, for constructing slowmations in a junior secondary science context. This framework, as well as the significance and implications of the broader findings for improving teaching practice in Earth science education, are presented.

This study aimed to examine the effect of cognitive conflict learning strategies on students' conceptual change. This research was conducted in SMA Negeri 1 Tanjung Batu at even semester 2012-2013 academic year with the research subject is a class XA. The method used in this research is a pre - experimental methods with one group pre-test and post -test design. Data collection techniques used is a test. The tests used are also equipped with Certainty of Response Index (CRI) to look at students' conceptual change. Hypothesis test used is the t-test. The results of the analysis of the test data obtained t count = 23.74 while the t table = 2.03. Based on testing criteria, H0 is rejected, because of t count > t table , so it can be concluded that the learning using cognitive conflict strategy can affect students' conceptual change. N - gain or increase in students' understanding of concepts with high category is equal to 0.75 .

Focus For Action 1964-1965

Conceptual change is one of the international issues that had been studied by many researchers since three decades ago. Students’ conceptual understanding could be optimized through the learning process in classroom. Nevertheless, students still have misconceptions that noticed the students conceptual change is still not successfully yet. In order to solve the problem, this study was conducted through four D research method (Define, Design, Develop and Disseminate) for 60 educational-university students that aimed to optimize students conceptual understanding using cognitive conflict-based multimode teaching (CC-BMT) in the learning process oriented conceptual change that concluded with: PDEODE∗E worksheet design, simulation and natural phenomenon-based multimedia and Conceptual Change Text (CCT). The Electricity and Magnetism Conceptual Change Inventory (EMCCI) and CC-BMT have already been developed through the initial steps (define, design and develop) of four D model to produce the learning model that is able to optimize the students’ conceptual understanding. Finally, in the disseminate phase, the quantitative data which is analyzed by using conceptual change process based on the score as the the percentage result of EMCCI four tier diagnostic test. The analyzing data which is utilized a sequential codding analysis reports for electricity and magnetism that the students misconceptions (M) -18.33% and -15%; sound understanding (SU) 25% and 11.67%; partial understanding (PU) 16.67% and 20%; no understanding (NU) 23.33% and 16.67%; uncodeable (UC) is all 0% after implementing the CC-BMT learning strategy. It can be concluded that the implementing of CC-BMT is able to optimize students’ understanding on electricity and magnetism.

The Effect of Inquiry-Based Activities and Prior Knowledge on Undergraduates' Understanding of Reversibility

Undergraduate Engineering Students’ Representational Competence of Circuits Analysis and Optimization: An Exploratory Study

Conceptual change involves weak or radical modifications of conceptual understanding. Thus, how to assess students’ conceptual understanding becomes a key issue of conceptual change. This chapter deals with the assessment of students’ conceptual understanding, considering some implications it may have to assess conceptual change processes. It outlines the main characteristics of assessment tasks, processes and contexts that can affect knowledge construction and revision. In doing so, it is intended to widen the perspectives on conceptual understanding by considering some fctors that usually are present in classroom practice, but not always taken into account in research. For example, the kinds of assessment task employed by teachers, whether or not teachers make learning goals explicit, the design and coverage of assessment processes, the degree of feedback given by teachers or how much self-regulation is promoted by assessment tasks. I shall include some examples mainly from my own research on social sciences that will illustrate the ideas presented. Special consideration is given to analogous and transfer tasks, and to portfolio-assessment in the context of project-oriented learning. Finally, the chapter outlines a research agenda in order to go further on these topics.KeywordsMental RepresentationConceptual ChangeConceptual UnderstandingAssessment ProcessAssessment TaskThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

Teaching science concepts for conceptual understanding has its challenges. Bringing about conceptual change in the science classroom can be difficult because most concepts are complicated and often counter-intuitive in the teaching and learning of science concepts. A review of the literature indicates that the conceptual change model, CCM can be an effective teaching technique in addressing misconceptions and improving conceptual understanding when it comes to science instruction. The aim of this research was to find out the effect of the conceptual change model on pre-service teachers’ conceptual understanding regarding the topic of forces and motion. Using data from tests and questionnaires, the research questions were answered by quantitatively analyzing the collected data. The analysis revealed that there is a statistically significant correlation between the conceptual change model and the conceptual understanding of the pre-service teacher participants. Overall, the results provide evidence in support of the effectiveness of the conceptual change model, CCM in addressing misconceptions and promoting conceptual understanding of forces and motion among the pre-service teacher participants that volunteered for this research. The results also indicate that the CCM is a teaching model which must be considered by science educators and teachers as they seek to address issues related to misconceptions and conceptual understanding in the teaching of science topics. Keywords: conceptual change, conceptual change model, conceptual understanding, misconceptions, pre-service teachers, science education

The purpose of this research was to investigate the effectiveness of conceptual change learning approach based on conceptual change model over traditional instruction on the improvement of physics education undergraduate students’ conceptual understanding in Newtonian mechanics. A quasi experimental research method with pre-test and post-test control group design was employed. The sample chosen based on purposive technique sampling comprising of 73 students was in two groups selected randomly each as experimental and control group. Predict-Observe-Explain-Apply (POEA) and using Conceptual Change Texts (CCT) strategies were implemented in the experimental group. The Force Concept Inventory (FCI) in Indonesian was used to collect data before and after treatments. The results show that the conceptual understandings of students who were taught using strategies under conceptual change approach was significantly better than those of the traditional approach. The research confirmed that only learning based on conceptual change model could improve learners’ Newtonian mechanics conceptual understanding. Key words: conceptual change approach, conceptual change texts, predict-observe-explain-apply, Newtonian mechanics.

“I have to teach someone to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. How am I supposed to do that? What should I start with? How can this be so hard?” I have found that teaching anything to another person is rife with far more decisions and dilemmas than I could have ever imagined at first. Years ago, I had a college roommate who wanted to participate in a summer teaching program. For her interview, she had to develop a lesson plan to teach someone else how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Have you ever thought about teaching someone else how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? She had asked for my input, and once we started to really consider the possibilities, our minds reeled. How would you start? What would you do first? Next? After that? Who was the learner anyway? And had they made a sandwich before? Were they allergic to peanuts? How old were they? Should we let them have a knife? Should we show them how first? Talk them through it? Let them have a go at it on their own? Should we first teach them the names of all the tools and things we were going to use? Should we ask them why they needed to learn how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the first place? What were the critical issues in teaching someone how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? Much like in the “PBJ Dilemma” as we came to call it, there are many decisions to be made in designing effective learning experiences in undergraduate biology classes—and instructors are making these decisions constantly. It can seem overwhelming, yet the research literatures from cognitive science, psychology, and science education about how people learn suggest guidelines about constructing effective learning experiences (National Research Council [NRC], 1999 ). Much like the PBJ Dilemma, the order in which we decide to do things with students when we teach is critical, yet the order of things happening in a class session often goes undiscussed and unexamined. At first glance, the most pressing teaching dilemmas in our biology classrooms—student motivation, student retention of information, student understanding of difficult concepts—may seem unrelated to the order in which things are happening; however, what we do first, second, third, and so on can have many ramifications. For many instructors who have primarily learned from and used a lecture-based teaching approach, considerations of order have been primarily about the order of ideas. With the increasing use of active-learning strategies, class sessions are moving from having a single component—a lecture—to having many components over the course of even 50 minutes (e.g., a video clip, a pair discussion on a biology-based problem, a clicker question, a mini-lecture, and a final index card reflection). So, what is the optimal order for sequencing these elements to maximize student learning of biology?

The purpose of this study was to investigate both the individual and relative effectiveness of two conceptual change interventions, gender and their interactions on preservice science teachers’ conceptual understanding and their misconceptions in mechanical waves. The interventions are conceptual change texts enriched with concept cartoons (CCTCC) and 5E learning model enriched with simulation activities (5ESA) respectively. Participants are 66 sophomores from two intact classes. A quasi-experimental design was used as a research methodology. One group studied the concept of mechanical waves with the CCTCC and the other studied it with the 5ESA. Students’ conceptual understanding levels and misconceptions were measured by a Four-Tier Mechanical Waves Misconception Test as pre and post-test. Preliminary analysis indicated that there was no significant difference among the intervention groups’ pre-conceptual understanding levels. Individual effects of the treatments from pre to post-tests were investigated by paired-sample t-tests and the main effects of the treatments, gender and their interactions on post-conceptual understanding levels were examined via two-way ANOVA. The results of t-tests showed that both treatments significantly affected learners’ conceptual understanding levels individually. ANOVA results yielded a significant treatment effect on behalf of the CCTCC, but the effects of the gender and gender*treatment interaction on students’ post-conceptual understanding levels were insignificant. Findings showed that the conceptual change approach accompanied by conceptual change text enriched with concept cartoons is likely to be more effective for increasing students’ conceptual understanding level and decreasing their misconceptions in mechanical waves.