Alternative Conceptions of Elementary school students in Astronomy (original) (raw)
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This paper presents an analysis of physics teachers’ as well as university and high school students’ understanding of some astronomy concepts. In recent years, the significance of astronomy teaching in science education has gradually increased. Many research studies indicate that students have misconceptions about the reasons for seasons, the Moon’s phases, the Moon’s phase in the solar eclipse and the Sun’s position. Nevertheless, there have not been many studies reported, which measure students’ and especially teachers’ beliefs, experiences and understanding and their misconceptions regarding comets, shooting stars, star orbits, astrology, sunspots, and source of solar energy. This is the first aim of the paper. The second is to emphasize the inadequacy of multiplechoice tests, which are commonly used to determine the conceptual understanding and achievement using multi-tier tests such as two-tier tests. To achieve these aims, this study analyses and compares the alternative conce...
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The foregoing study was an attempt to examine university students’ understanding on selected astronomy concepts. Its general aim was to establish the status of astronomy education specifically along the scientific literacy of students. Among the concepts examined included students’ reasoning on the occurrence of day and night, seasons, eclipses and tides. Moreover, it established their ideas on moon’s source of light, sun’s source of energy, black hole, colors and temperature, the concept of light year and the planets of the solar system and its sequence. The responses of fifty 3rd year Bachelor of Elementary Education students in a researcher-compiled conceptual evaluation were done using the simple Collaizi method. Results showed that university students possess variety of alternative conceptions along the above-mentioned phenomena and concepts. They hardly explain the occurrence of several natural phenomena and events even if they experience it every day and even after undergoing formal instruction in elementary science, integrated science and physical science. As a whole, this study evidently showed that despite the antiquity of astronomy as among the field in science, still there exist a big gap in terms of understanding its various concepts.
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