Different techniques used for analysing cognitive activities during learning may be questionable in terms of validity of the data obtained. In recent years, eye tracking has become an increasingly used technique for the monitoring of various processes of learning in science education due to significant correlations between the processes of cognition and eye movements. It monitors the activities of a student and his or her eye movements during the activity. Basic types of eye movements consist of rapid movements (saccades), which centre the view to the selected location, and relatively stable states of eye movements (fixations) when processing visual information. Determination of these two types is essential when analysing eye movements, because they contain information about the distribution of individual’s attention while solving particular task. Different modes of visualization are often used in science education to reduce the abstractness of science concepts. The ability of use of multimodal approach during learning provides a formation of a adequate mental model of a specific science concept in a long-term memory of an individual. In chemistry education virtual (on computer screen) or physical molecular models are often used. The most frequently used modes of representations are ball and stick, calotte and skeletal models. This research examines which representations of molecular models (according dimensionality – 2D or 3D and type - ball and stick, calotte or skeletal models) students use when solving simple chemical tasks. Data were gathered with screen-based Tobii X60 eye tracker. Students enrolled in the first year at the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Health Sciences participated in the study. Results show that students in most cases focus more on 2D and ball and stick models when solving the chemistry tasks. The research results can be used in designing learning material and didactic directions for chemistry teachers. It can also be concluded that eye tracking is an appropriate approach for the monitoring of various processes of learning in science education and can make an important contribution to the research of scientific literacy in the future.
B.03 Paper at an international scientific conference
COBISS.SI-ID: 10904393Trends of contemporary science education indicate that it is necessary to encourage students to understand authentic problems and develop their ability to solve them. This is more difficult in science due to the complexity of science concepts which is reflected in the presentation at the macro, submicro- and symbolic level. The complexity of the science concepts and its impact on teaching, learning and consequently on the ability to solve various science problems are presented in this paper. The formation of the adequate mental model of a specific science concept depends on understanding of all these three levels. The macro level is supposed to be always included in teaching, but the other two depend on the abilities of students, such as their preknowledge and their abstract thinking abilities. Different visualization elements can be used to lower chemical conepts abstractness at submicroscopic level. In recent years, eye tracking has become an increasingly used technique for the monitoring of various processes of learning and problem solving in science education. This technique allows gathering data about eye movements in the information processing, because there are significant correlations between the processes of cognition and eye movements. In this way it can be determinated how students think when exposed to the authentic science problem solving, and which factors influence the problem solving.
B.04 Guest lecture
COBISS.SI-ID: 10848073With the renovation of the primary school system in the 2003/04 school year, a new course entitled Science, which links biological, physical and chemistry content was introduced in the sixth and the seventh grade. It is typical for chemistry content that it is constructing while students progress across educational vertical. The Science course enables students to learn the basics of the structure of matter, agregate states, mixtures, pure substances, substance changes and the basics of chemical reactions. In order to understand these concepts, macroscopic perceptions of the science phenomena should be explained by submicroscopic explanations at the particulate level. Theoretical models on which the teaching of abstract concepts is based at the primary school level, and some of the problems we encounter with linking macroscopic and submicroscopic levels, are presented.
B.06 Other
COBISS.SI-ID: 10668361