Development and validation of a learning progression for change of seasons, solar and lunar eclipses, and moon phases
In this paper, we report about the development and validation of a learning progression about the Celestial Motion big idea. Existing curricula, research studies on alternative conceptions about these phenomena, and students’ answers to an open questionnaire were the starting point to develop initia...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
American Physical Society
2015-07-01
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| Series: | Physical Review Special Topics. Physics Education Research |
| Online Access: | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.11.020102 |
| _version_ | 1818406370201829376 |
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| author | Italo Testa Silvia Galano Silvio Leccia Emanuella Puddu |
| author_facet | Italo Testa Silvia Galano Silvio Leccia Emanuella Puddu |
| author_sort | Italo Testa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this paper, we report about the development and validation of a learning progression about the Celestial Motion big idea. Existing curricula, research studies on alternative conceptions about these phenomena, and students’ answers to an open questionnaire were the starting point to develop initial learning progressions about change of seasons, solar and lunar eclipses, and Moon phases; then, a two-tier multiple choice questionnaire was designed to validate and improve them. The questionnaire was submitted to about 300 secondary students of different school levels (14 to 18 years old). Item response analysis and curve integral method were used to revise the hypothesized learning progressions. Findings support that spatial reasoning is a key cognitive factor for building an explanatory framework for the Celestial Motion big idea, but also suggest that causal reasoning based on physics mechanisms underlying the phenomena, as light flux laws or energy transfers, may significantly impact a students’ understanding. As an implication of the study, we propose that the teaching of the three discussed astronomy phenomena should follow a single teaching-learning path along the following sequence: (i) emphasize from the beginning the geometrical aspects of the Sun-Moon-Earth system motion; (ii) clarify consequences of the motion of the Sun-Moon-Earth system, as the changing solar radiation flow on the surface of Earth during the revolution around the Sun; (iii) help students moving between different reference systems (Earth and space observer’s perspective) to understand how Earth’s rotation and revolution can change the appearance of the Sun and Moon. Instructional and methodological implications are also briefly discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T09:10:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b4acbfacba104920b0cb8fe6705da716 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1554-9178 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T09:10:52Z |
| publishDate | 2015-07-01 |
| publisher | American Physical Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Physical Review Special Topics. Physics Education Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-b4acbfacba104920b0cb8fe6705da7162022-12-21T23:08:34ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review Special Topics. Physics Education Research1554-91782015-07-0111202010210.1103/PhysRevSTPER.11.020102Development and validation of a learning progression for change of seasons, solar and lunar eclipses, and moon phasesItalo TestaSilvia GalanoSilvio LecciaEmanuella PudduIn this paper, we report about the development and validation of a learning progression about the Celestial Motion big idea. Existing curricula, research studies on alternative conceptions about these phenomena, and students’ answers to an open questionnaire were the starting point to develop initial learning progressions about change of seasons, solar and lunar eclipses, and Moon phases; then, a two-tier multiple choice questionnaire was designed to validate and improve them. The questionnaire was submitted to about 300 secondary students of different school levels (14 to 18 years old). Item response analysis and curve integral method were used to revise the hypothesized learning progressions. Findings support that spatial reasoning is a key cognitive factor for building an explanatory framework for the Celestial Motion big idea, but also suggest that causal reasoning based on physics mechanisms underlying the phenomena, as light flux laws or energy transfers, may significantly impact a students’ understanding. As an implication of the study, we propose that the teaching of the three discussed astronomy phenomena should follow a single teaching-learning path along the following sequence: (i) emphasize from the beginning the geometrical aspects of the Sun-Moon-Earth system motion; (ii) clarify consequences of the motion of the Sun-Moon-Earth system, as the changing solar radiation flow on the surface of Earth during the revolution around the Sun; (iii) help students moving between different reference systems (Earth and space observer’s perspective) to understand how Earth’s rotation and revolution can change the appearance of the Sun and Moon. Instructional and methodological implications are also briefly discussed.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.11.020102 |
| spellingShingle | Italo Testa Silvia Galano Silvio Leccia Emanuella Puddu Development and validation of a learning progression for change of seasons, solar and lunar eclipses, and moon phases Physical Review Special Topics. Physics Education Research |
| title | Development and validation of a learning progression for change of seasons, solar and lunar eclipses, and moon phases |
| title_full | Development and validation of a learning progression for change of seasons, solar and lunar eclipses, and moon phases |
| title_fullStr | Development and validation of a learning progression for change of seasons, solar and lunar eclipses, and moon phases |
| title_full_unstemmed | Development and validation of a learning progression for change of seasons, solar and lunar eclipses, and moon phases |
| title_short | Development and validation of a learning progression for change of seasons, solar and lunar eclipses, and moon phases |
| title_sort | development and validation of a learning progression for change of seasons solar and lunar eclipses and moon phases |
| url | http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevSTPER.11.020102 |
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