Submicroscopic representations are important at all educational levels for establishing the students’ understanding of chemical concepts at the particulate level. The research aim was to establish the understanding of the states of water and of the process of water freezing at the submicroscopic level across the education vertical. The quantitative research sample was composed of 31 seventh graders of elementary school, 29 students of the first year of gymnasium and 20 students of the Chemistry Study Course at the Faculty of Education of the University of Ljubljana. The measurement instrument of the research was a knowledge test with four authentic problem tasks, which included animations of particle movements. The knowledge test was displayed on the computer screen as screen images. In individual task solving, eye movements were monitored by an eye tracker, and the responses were simultaneously recorded. The research results show the increase in successful noting of the correct justifications for the choice of a submicroscopic representation across the education vertical only in the case of a solid state of water (primary students 9,7 %, secondary students 13,8 %, and faculty students 55,0 %). The frequency of incorrect understanding of the movement of water particles in the solid state decreased across the education vertical (primary students 51,5 %, secondary students 41,4 %, and faculty students 15,0 %). The misunderstanding of the motion of particles in the liquid (primary students 25,9 %; secondary students 30,9 %) and in the gaseous state of water was present only in primary students and in secondary students (primary students 6,4 %; secondary students 6,8 %). The misunderstanding of the properties of particle movements in the solid state in the task of water freezing increased across the education vertical (9,6 % of primary students, 10,3 % of secondary students, 15,0 % of faculty students).
B.03 Paper at an international scientific conference
COBISS.SI-ID: 11937865Science appears to be very complex to the novice learner because there are many concepts that can be observed at the macroscopic level, but can only be explained at the particulate level. In the minds of many students, there is no connection between them. Describing and explaining of science phenomenon operate at three thinking levels: the macro, the submicro and the symbolic level. The macro level refers to what can be perceived by the senses without the aid of instruments. The submicro level is a representation of the smallest relevant particles. The symbolic level refers to symbols, models and equations. The submicro and the symbolic help interpret the macro. These interact and have to be handled expertly for understanding to take place. The researches show that there is a significant correlation between the cognition process and eye movements since 80 % of the population receive and process information by using the visual channel. Monitoring the eye movement allows determination of located point on the object perceived by the eyes. The major interest of the one causes the fixations (a condition when the macula is stabilized on the observed object). The number of fixations is associated with the number of the information parts, which the one simultaneously processes. The described is the topic of the national research project Explaining Effective and Efficient Problem Solving of the Triplet Relationship in Science Concepts Representations (2014 - 2017). In this contribution, the science problems related to states of matter, pressure and density and the study for monitoring cognitive processes at solving triple nature problems are presented. 10 pupils, 2 students and 6 teachers were included into the study. They observed the problem solving tasks on the screen. The photo of the phenomenon/process was on the left side of the computer screen and the animation of the particle movement along with the task instructions and questions. Paper-pencil questionnaires were filled in after they evaluated the solving process. The data was qualitatively processed. The conclusion of the study offers concrete guidelines for optimization of the science problems which will be used in the further study for determining of the problem solving strategies.
B.03 Paper at an international scientific conference
COBISS.SI-ID: 11156809The purpose of the study is to develop the methods for monitoring cognitive processes at solving the triple nature problems of chemistry concepts through the use of an eye tracker. The study involved teachers, primary school students and secondary school students, who were solving seven authentic chemistry problems related to the states of matter and chemical reactions of burning. The data, which will be qualitatively processed on a sample of 10 pupils, 2 students and 6 teachers, were audio and video captured. The participants completed the questionnaire after each authentic problem in which they evaluated the solving process. The problem displayed on the computer screen contained the photos of the phenomenon/process (the macroscopic level) and the animations of the particle movement (the sub-microscopic level) along with the task instructions and questions. In the problem related to burning the equations of chemical reactions were also included (the symbolic level). The conclusions will be used to optimize the authentic problems, which will be used for the identification of the problem solving strategies in the second part of the research.
B.03 Paper at an international scientific conference
COBISS.SI-ID: 11159625For successful science problem solving, students have to understand and represent concepts at macroscopic and submicroscopic level. They are less successful at the second level and they perceive tasks related to this level as more difficult. Understanding of specific cognitive abilities (e.g., logical thinking, visual processing, working memory, cognitive flexibility) that affect students’ achievement and perception of task difficulty can help educators to design learning material in such a way that will support students’ problem solving. We examined how various cognitive variables are related to the achievement and the perception of task difficulty when solving science problems represented at the submicroscopic level. A sample of 12–15 year-old students (N = 57) participated in the study. The students solved authentic chemistry, physics and biology problems and assessed the difficulty of each problem on a 5-point scale. The PEBL software (Mueller, 2012) was used to assess students’ cognitive functions: visual processing was assessed with the Pattern Comparison Task, cognitive flexibility with the Trail-Making Task, and working memory with the Digit Span Task. Test of Logical Thinking (Tobin & Capie, 1981) was used to assess formal reasoning ability, and Set I of Advanced Progressive Matrices (Raven, Court, & Raven, 1996) was used to measure fluid intelligence. The results suggested that subjective experience of task difficulty and objective performance in science problem solving were related to different cognitive processes––as expected, cognitive maturity predicted achievements in science problem solving above and beyond age and IQ, and cognitive flexibility predicted perceived task difficulty. Cognitive flexibility may therefore be related to perceived mental effort through experiencing and switching between simultaneous cognitive processes involved in problem solving. Implications for educators were discussed.
B.03 Paper at an international scientific conference
COBISS.SI-ID: 63887202