Understanding the Idea of Chemical Elements and Their Periodic Classification in Spanish Students Aged 16–18 Years     

Antonio-Joaquín Franco-Mariscal  José María Oliva-Martínez  M. L. Almoraima Gil 《International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education》2016,14(5):885-906

The work reported here involved a comparative study regarding the understanding that high school students (16–18 years) have of the concept of chemical elements and their periodic classification. More specifically, the level of knowledge on this topic was compared before and after the completion of baccalaureate studies in a sample of Spanish students. In order to achieve this goal, a questionnaire was developed that included 14 items in an open format, through which various aspects of the students’ understanding of the idea of chemical element and their periodic classification were assessed. In addition, the application of this knowledge to interpret and predict the behaviour and properties of elements and to carry out calculations on the atomic composition of the elements was evaluated. Aspects concerning the acquisition of scientific knowledge, the application of knowledge to different contexts and situations, and the use of scientific evidence to draw conclusions and knowledge about the nature and history of science were evaluated. The questionnaire was previously validated with a large group of students. The results of this study show that improvements occur primarily in addressing higher level cognitive questions (analysis, synthesis and evaluation) in comparison to the lower level tasks (capacity for retention, understanding or direct application of learning). In addition, students who start high school have a very limited understanding of the ideas behind the Periodic Table of the chemical elements and that their lack of understanding, to a large extent, remains upon completion of the baccalaureate. These results suggest that there are real difficulties in understanding this topic and show the limited influence of the studies completed in high school.  相似文献   

Preservice elementary science teachers’ argumentation competence: impact of a training programme     

Daniel Cebrián-Robles  Antonio-Joaquín Franco-Mariscal  Ángel Blanco-López 《Instructional Science》2018,46(5):789-817

The recent literature has shown the importance of preservice elementary science teachers (PESTs) having a deep understanding of argumentation, as this factor may affect the nature of the class activities that are taught and what students learn. A lack of understanding of this factor may represent an obstacle in the development of science education programmes in line with the development of scientific competences. This paper presents the results of the design and implementation of a training programme of 6 sessions (12 h of class participation plus 8 h of personal homework) on argumentation. The programme was carried out by 57 Spanish PESTs from Malaga, Spain. The training programme incorporates the innovative use of certain strategies to improve competence in argumentation, such as teaching PESTs to identify the elements of arguments in order to design assessment rubrics or by including peer assessment during evaluation with and without rubrics. The results obtained on implementing the training programme were evaluated based on the development of PESTs’ argumentation competence using Toulmin’s argumentative model. Data collection methods involved two tasks carried out at the beginning and the end of the programme, i.e., pre- and post-test, respectively. The conclusion of the study is that students made significant progress in their argumentation competence on completing the course. In addition, PESTs who followed the training programme achieved statistically better results at the end than those in the control group (n = 41), who followed a traditional teaching programme. A 6-month transfer task showed a slight improvement for the PESTs of the experimental group in relation to the control group in their ability to transfer argumentation to practice.  相似文献   

The Nature of Science and Citizenship: a Delphi Analysis     

González-García  Francisco José  Blanco-López  Ángel  España-Ramos  Enrique  Franco-Mariscal  Antonio-Joaquín 《Research in Science Education》2021,51(3):791-818

Research in Science Education - The relationship between science and society has, for many years, been the subject of debate in different fields, and various proposals have been made regarding the...  相似文献