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Papers by Nikolaos D Fotou

(Unpublished doctoral dissertation), 2011

This paper reviews methodological issues in investigating students' ideas about basic astronomica... more This paper reviews methodological issues in investigating students' ideas about basic astronomical events.

In C. P. Constantinou, N. Papadouris & A. Hadjigeorgiou (Eds.), E-Book Proceedings of the ESERA 2013 Conference: Science Education Research For Evidence-based Teaching and Coherence in Learning. Part 1 (co-eds. Casulleras, R. P., & Papaevripidou, M.),, 2014

This small scale pilot study was the first stage of a larger cross age study designed to investig... more This small scale pilot study was the first stage of a larger cross age study designed to investigate students’ predictions in novel situations and the role that self-generated analogies play in non-scientific reasoning. The study used a mixed method approach composed of a combination of interviews and questionnaires. Thirteen, sixteen and twelve students were recruited from Year 4, Year 9 and Year 11 (aged 9-10, 15-16 and 16-17 years) respectively from three different schools in Greece. Nine student focus group interviews were conducted in combination with the administration of a six pictorial item questionnaire. All interviews were audio-tape recorded and additional data were also collected through the use of written responses to the questionnaire. Students’ responses were analysed to ascertain whether their predictions drew on the use of analogies and, if so, the nature of the analogy that was used. It emerged
that there were many similarities among students’ predictions as well as the analogies they used to explain the latter. Also, preliminary findings suggest that in many cases when students demonstrated non-scientific reasoning they drew on analogies which made them make a prediction which is not compatible with the scientific view. It also emerged that the analogies used by students in Years 4 and 9, when presented with the same novel situations in which they were required to make a prediction, were, in many cases, similar irrespective of their year group. Whilst students in Year 11 did make use of those similar analogies the frequency with which they drew on analogies, to make predictions, appeared much less that for the two younger student groups.

This study found that students regularly make use of analogies, rather than scientific thinking, and that teachers need to be more aware of the nature of the analogies used and how, and why, these analogies can, in many cases, lead students to make scientifically incorrect predictions.

Conference proceedings: New perspectives in science education., 2014

This paper is a report of a study designed to investigate how students make predictions in novel ... more This paper is a report of a study designed to investigate how students make predictions in novel situations and the role self generated analogies play in non-scientific reasoning. Mixed methods were used combining group discussions with questionnaires. One age-group from each level of the Greek education system were recruited. Thirteen, sixteen and twelve students participated from Year 4 (primary education), Year 9 (secondary education, Greek ‘Gimnasium’) and Year 11 (secondary education, Greek ‘Lyceum’) respectively from three different schools in Greece. Nine focus group discussions were conducted in combination with the administration of a six pictorial item questionnaire. Students’ responses were analysed to ascertain whether students’ predictions drew on the use of analogies. Also, responses were analysed to see if students of different ages drew on the same analogies when made predictions in the same novel situations. It emerged that there were many similarities among students’ predictions as well as the analogies that students used to explain the latter. For the explanations students provided for the predictions they made a total of 21 analogies were identified. The findings indicate that connecting analogies to novel situations was important in the construction of predictions. The children in Years 4 and 9 made the same predictions using similar, and in many cases identical analogies in their predictions. Whilst students in Year 11 made the same predictions and did make use of those same, similar, analogies the frequency with which they drew on analogies to make predictions appeared much less than for the two younger groups. This study found that students regularly make use of analogies, rather than scientific thinking. Results also indicated that the analogies students use derived from phenomena they observe at a very young age. Teachers need to be aware of the nature of analogies students make use of in order to help them use the analogies correctly and in accordance with concepts they are taught facilitating the way they make sense of abstract scientific knowledge.

(Unpublished master's thesis), 2011

This study is a report of a reasearch carried out to investigate Greek primary students ideas abo... more This study is a report of a reasearch carried out to investigate Greek primary students ideas about two basic astronomical events; day/night cycle and seasons. The results showed that students experience many difficulties in combining what they have been taught and relating it with certain phenomena.

Books by Nikolaos D Fotou

This cross age study was designed to investigate students’ predictions in novel situations and th... more This cross age study was designed to investigate students’ predictions in novel situations and the role that self-generated analogies play in non-scientific reasoning. The study used a mixed method approach. Data was collected through the conduction of group interviews which were audio-tape
recorded and additional data was collected through the use of written responses in the questionnaire. There were 37, 31, 29, 35 and 34 students recruited from Year 4, Year 6, Year 7, Year 9 and Year 11 (aged 9-10, 11-12, 12-13. 14-15 and 16-17 years) respectively from ten different schools in Greece. Students’ responses were analysed to ascertain whether their predictions drew on the use of analogies, and if so, the nature of the analogies that they used and whether the ideas used in the explanations of their predictions could be understood from a p-prims or a misconception perspective. The study found that students regularly make use of analogies, rather than scientific thinking in order to make their predictions. It also emerged that there were many similarities among students’ predictions as well as the analogies they used to explain the latter. In many cases this students’ non scientific reasoning was based on their experiential knowledge which led them to make a prediction
which is not compatible with the scientific view. However, according to the findings, there were cases in which analogical reasoning led some of them, more frequently the older (secondary education) ones, to make correct predictions.
The study suggests that teachers need to be more aware of the nature of the analogies used and how, and why, these analogies can, in many cases, lead students to make scientifically incorrect or correct predictions.

(Unpublished doctoral dissertation), 2011

This paper reviews methodological issues in investigating students' ideas about basic astronomica... more This paper reviews methodological issues in investigating students' ideas about basic astronomical events.

In C. P. Constantinou, N. Papadouris & A. Hadjigeorgiou (Eds.), E-Book Proceedings of the ESERA 2013 Conference: Science Education Research For Evidence-based Teaching and Coherence in Learning. Part 1 (co-eds. Casulleras, R. P., & Papaevripidou, M.),, 2014

This small scale pilot study was the first stage of a larger cross age study designed to investig... more This small scale pilot study was the first stage of a larger cross age study designed to investigate students’ predictions in novel situations and the role that self-generated analogies play in non-scientific reasoning. The study used a mixed method approach composed of a combination of interviews and questionnaires. Thirteen, sixteen and twelve students were recruited from Year 4, Year 9 and Year 11 (aged 9-10, 15-16 and 16-17 years) respectively from three different schools in Greece. Nine student focus group interviews were conducted in combination with the administration of a six pictorial item questionnaire. All interviews were audio-tape recorded and additional data were also collected through the use of written responses to the questionnaire. Students’ responses were analysed to ascertain whether their predictions drew on the use of analogies and, if so, the nature of the analogy that was used. It emerged
that there were many similarities among students’ predictions as well as the analogies they used to explain the latter. Also, preliminary findings suggest that in many cases when students demonstrated non-scientific reasoning they drew on analogies which made them make a prediction which is not compatible with the scientific view. It also emerged that the analogies used by students in Years 4 and 9, when presented with the same novel situations in which they were required to make a prediction, were, in many cases, similar irrespective of their year group. Whilst students in Year 11 did make use of those similar analogies the frequency with which they drew on analogies, to make predictions, appeared much less that for the two younger student groups.

This study found that students regularly make use of analogies, rather than scientific thinking, and that teachers need to be more aware of the nature of the analogies used and how, and why, these analogies can, in many cases, lead students to make scientifically incorrect predictions.

Conference proceedings: New perspectives in science education., 2014

This paper is a report of a study designed to investigate how students make predictions in novel ... more This paper is a report of a study designed to investigate how students make predictions in novel situations and the role self generated analogies play in non-scientific reasoning. Mixed methods were used combining group discussions with questionnaires. One age-group from each level of the Greek education system were recruited. Thirteen, sixteen and twelve students participated from Year 4 (primary education), Year 9 (secondary education, Greek ‘Gimnasium’) and Year 11 (secondary education, Greek ‘Lyceum’) respectively from three different schools in Greece. Nine focus group discussions were conducted in combination with the administration of a six pictorial item questionnaire. Students’ responses were analysed to ascertain whether students’ predictions drew on the use of analogies. Also, responses were analysed to see if students of different ages drew on the same analogies when made predictions in the same novel situations. It emerged that there were many similarities among students’ predictions as well as the analogies that students used to explain the latter. For the explanations students provided for the predictions they made a total of 21 analogies were identified. The findings indicate that connecting analogies to novel situations was important in the construction of predictions. The children in Years 4 and 9 made the same predictions using similar, and in many cases identical analogies in their predictions. Whilst students in Year 11 made the same predictions and did make use of those same, similar, analogies the frequency with which they drew on analogies to make predictions appeared much less than for the two younger groups. This study found that students regularly make use of analogies, rather than scientific thinking. Results also indicated that the analogies students use derived from phenomena they observe at a very young age. Teachers need to be aware of the nature of analogies students make use of in order to help them use the analogies correctly and in accordance with concepts they are taught facilitating the way they make sense of abstract scientific knowledge.

(Unpublished master's thesis), 2011

This study is a report of a reasearch carried out to investigate Greek primary students ideas abo... more This study is a report of a reasearch carried out to investigate Greek primary students ideas about two basic astronomical events; day/night cycle and seasons. The results showed that students experience many difficulties in combining what they have been taught and relating it with certain phenomena.

This cross age study was designed to investigate students’ predictions in novel situations and th... more This cross age study was designed to investigate students’ predictions in novel situations and the role that self-generated analogies play in non-scientific reasoning. The study used a mixed method approach. Data was collected through the conduction of group interviews which were audio-tape
recorded and additional data was collected through the use of written responses in the questionnaire. There were 37, 31, 29, 35 and 34 students recruited from Year 4, Year 6, Year 7, Year 9 and Year 11 (aged 9-10, 11-12, 12-13. 14-15 and 16-17 years) respectively from ten different schools in Greece. Students’ responses were analysed to ascertain whether their predictions drew on the use of analogies, and if so, the nature of the analogies that they used and whether the ideas used in the explanations of their predictions could be understood from a p-prims or a misconception perspective. The study found that students regularly make use of analogies, rather than scientific thinking in order to make their predictions. It also emerged that there were many similarities among students’ predictions as well as the analogies they used to explain the latter. In many cases this students’ non scientific reasoning was based on their experiential knowledge which led them to make a prediction
which is not compatible with the scientific view. However, according to the findings, there were cases in which analogical reasoning led some of them, more frequently the older (secondary education) ones, to make correct predictions.
The study suggests that teachers need to be more aware of the nature of the analogies used and how, and why, these analogies can, in many cases, lead students to make scientifically incorrect or correct predictions.