Better Understanding Pre-service Elementary School Teachers’ Mental Models about Seasonal Change

The purpose of this research is to create an abductive technique that students can use to create alternative models, as well as to assist teachers in developing scientific models for their students based on the first model they were given on seasonal change. Based on the responses to questions, understanding these explanatory mental models can reveal valuable information about the students’ knowledge structure. The results of the paper-pencil examination and individual interviews with students were gathered. Thirty pre-service elementary school teachers (1st grade) took part in this study. The results of this study show that the students had obvious alternate beliefs, and that the ‘distance theory’ had the most impact on those beliefs. In order to determine the genesis of structure of their various conceptions regarding seasonal variation, we rebuilt the developing process of their different notions using abduction inference patterns. Their early age views of conventional celestial bodies, rather than evolved specific facts, are used to expand, contract, and revise main theory, and they use the expansion, contraction, and revision of main theory as alternative models. The ramifications for pre-service teachers’ science instruction as well as related studies were discussed. To effectively train primary school kids in scientific activities, teachers must have both the essential science knowledge and the appropriate abductive inference skills.

Finally, future research should compare and contrast the research methods of real scientists and teachers. This approach is founded on the notion that experts and students generate scientific knowledge in similar ways.

Author (s) Details

Jun-Young Oh
Dankook University, Jukjeon, South Korea.

Sang Sook, Choi-Koh
Dankook University, Jukjeon, South Korea.

Yeon-A. Son
Dankook University, Jukjeon, South Korea.

Eun-Ju, Lee
Dankook University, Jukjeon, South Korea.

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