Elementary Students’ Reasoning in Drawn Explanations Based on a Scientific Theory
Constructing explanations of scientific phenomena is a high-leverage practice that promotes student understanding. In the context of this study, we acknowledge that children are used to receiving explanations from teachers. However, they are rarely encouraged to construct explanations about the caus...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Education Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/11/10/581 |
| _version_ | 1827679746794717184 |
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| author | Valeria M. Cabello Patricia M. Moreira Paulina Griñó Morales |
| author_facet | Valeria M. Cabello Patricia M. Moreira Paulina Griñó Morales |
| author_sort | Valeria M. Cabello |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Constructing explanations of scientific phenomena is a high-leverage practice that promotes student understanding. In the context of this study, we acknowledge that children are used to receiving explanations from teachers. However, they are rarely encouraged to construct explanations about the causes and consequences of phenomena. We modified a strategy to elicit and analyze primary students’ reasoning based on scientific theory as a methodological advance in learning and cognition. The participants were fourth-graders of middle socioeconomic status in Chile’s geographical zone with high seismic risk. They drew explanations about the causes and consequences of earthquakes during a learning unit of eighteen hours oriented toward explanation-construction based on the Tectonic Plates Theory. A constant comparative method was applied to analyze drawings and characterize students’ reasoning used in pictorial representations, following the first coding step of the qualitative Grounded Theory approach. The results show the students expressed progressive levels of reasoning. However, several participants expressed explanations based on the phenomena causes even at an early stage of formal learning. More sophisticated reasoning regarding the scientific theory underpinning earthquakes was found at the end of the learning unit. We discuss approaching elementary students’ scientific reasoning in explanations based on theory, connected with context-based science education. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:36:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-695f39c4f0e440c3b2aa278f332be214 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-7102 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T06:36:34Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Education Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-695f39c4f0e440c3b2aa278f332be2142023-11-22T18:00:11ZengMDPI AGEducation Sciences2227-71022021-09-01111058110.3390/educsci11100581Elementary Students’ Reasoning in Drawn Explanations Based on a Scientific TheoryValeria M. Cabello0Patricia M. Moreira1Paulina Griñó Morales2Facultad de Educación, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, ChileFacultad de Educación, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, ChileResearch Center for Integrated Disaster Risk Management (CIGIDEN), ANID/FONDAP/15110017, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, ChileConstructing explanations of scientific phenomena is a high-leverage practice that promotes student understanding. In the context of this study, we acknowledge that children are used to receiving explanations from teachers. However, they are rarely encouraged to construct explanations about the causes and consequences of phenomena. We modified a strategy to elicit and analyze primary students’ reasoning based on scientific theory as a methodological advance in learning and cognition. The participants were fourth-graders of middle socioeconomic status in Chile’s geographical zone with high seismic risk. They drew explanations about the causes and consequences of earthquakes during a learning unit of eighteen hours oriented toward explanation-construction based on the Tectonic Plates Theory. A constant comparative method was applied to analyze drawings and characterize students’ reasoning used in pictorial representations, following the first coding step of the qualitative Grounded Theory approach. The results show the students expressed progressive levels of reasoning. However, several participants expressed explanations based on the phenomena causes even at an early stage of formal learning. More sophisticated reasoning regarding the scientific theory underpinning earthquakes was found at the end of the learning unit. We discuss approaching elementary students’ scientific reasoning in explanations based on theory, connected with context-based science education.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/11/10/581explanationsscientific reasoningdrawingsscience educationearthquakes |
| spellingShingle | Valeria M. Cabello Patricia M. Moreira Paulina Griñó Morales Elementary Students’ Reasoning in Drawn Explanations Based on a Scientific Theory Education Sciences explanations scientific reasoning drawings science education earthquakes |
| title | Elementary Students’ Reasoning in Drawn Explanations Based on a Scientific Theory |
| title_full | Elementary Students’ Reasoning in Drawn Explanations Based on a Scientific Theory |
| title_fullStr | Elementary Students’ Reasoning in Drawn Explanations Based on a Scientific Theory |
| title_full_unstemmed | Elementary Students’ Reasoning in Drawn Explanations Based on a Scientific Theory |
| title_short | Elementary Students’ Reasoning in Drawn Explanations Based on a Scientific Theory |
| title_sort | elementary students reasoning in drawn explanations based on a scientific theory |
| topic | explanations scientific reasoning drawings science education earthquakes |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-7102/11/10/581 |
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