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Elementary school students' naïve conceptions and misconceptions about energy in physical education context
Tan Zhang1, Ang Chen2, Catherine Ennis2
1Department of Health, Physical Education & Sport Sciences, Arkansas State University, Jonesboro, USA.
Sport, Education and Society
|August 28, 2020
Summary
Elementary students hold naive ideas and misconceptions about energy, impacting their understanding of food choices and physical activity. Addressing these requires varied teaching strategies for effective conceptual change.
Area of Science:
- Education
- Cognitive Science
- Child Development
Background:
- Prior knowledge significantly influences learning.
- Understanding students' existing conceptions is crucial for effective science education.
- Naïve conceptions and misconceptions about energy are prevalent in elementary students.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore and identify elementary students' naïve conceptions and misconceptions about energy.
- To understand the relationship between students' prior knowledge levels and their energy concepts.
- To investigate the robustness of these conceptions using conceptual change theories.
Main Methods:
- Student knowledge levels on the cardiovascular system were assessed using standardized tests.
- Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with students across different knowledge levels.
- Interview data were analyzed to identify categories of naïve conceptions and misconceptions about energy.
Main Results:
- Six categories of naïve conceptions and two categories of misconceptions regarding energy were identified.
- Students' understanding of energy is linked to their views on food choices, physical activities, and exercises.
- Conceptual change theories like Chi's ontological change and Ohlsson's resubsumption theory help explain the persistence of these ideas.
Conclusions:
- A multi-theoretical approach is necessary to understand the complexity of students' naïve conceptions and misconceptions.
- Physical and health educators must employ diverse strategies to overcome learning obstacles related to energy concepts.
- Addressing naïve conceptions is vital for improving students' scientific literacy in energy and health.
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