Berlin 2008 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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DD: Fachverband Didaktik der Physik

DD 20: Lehr-Lernforschung IV (NOS)

DD 20.3: Vortrag

Dienstag, 26. Februar 2008, 15:00–15:20, EW 229

Developing Students' Scientific Reasoning — •Nicos Valanides and María Papageorgiou — University of Cyprus, P.O.BOX 20537, CY-1678, Nicosia, Cyprus

Scientific reasoning is similar to problem solving and is characterized by a dual search process (Klahr & Dunbar,1988)that takes place in the hypothesis space and the experimental space. The search in the two spaces is mediated by an evaluation process, which assesses the fit between theory (hypothesis) and evidence. In the present study, individual interviews were conducted with 10 eight-grade students, as they were investigating the functioning of a device consisting of a wooden box with 8 small electric lamps in a line and 5 switches, in another line below the lamps, which could move up and down. The lamps and the switches were connected in a "hidden" circuit inside the box, while a "tester," located below the 5 switches, was used to test which lamp(s) was(were) lit on. Individuals could design experiments, make observations, collect, organize, and analyze factual knowledge, and draw conclusions. Each interview lasted between 40 to 60 minutes, was tape-recorded, and transcribed for data analysis. The results indicate that children of this age form hypotheses based on their prior knowledge and tend to mainly search the experimental space. They rely only on "positive" experiments and do not have the ability to effectively organize their results.