A Case Study of the Fourth Grade Students’ Science Explanation

• Main Authors: Ya-ling Kang, 康雅玲
• Other Authors: none
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2011
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/20049642271429664186

碩士 === 國立屏東教育大學 === 數理教育研究所 === 99 === The purpose of this study was to investigate the fourth grade students’ characteristics of science explanation, the related scientific concepts, the types of explanation, and to find the difficulties and factors of students’ explanation. This study used qualitative research case study. The researcher had semi-structured interviews with nine subjects that they were fourth grade in Kaohsiung City . In the semi-structured interviews include 4 aspects. They were aspects of the life sciences "plant" and "animal" theme, and material science "water change" and "material dissolution" theme. The purpose was to understand the scientific explanation of the expression patterns and characteristics of the subjects. The findings of the study are as follows: 1. There is no apparent difference of the students’ explanation between life science and material science. The performance of explanation is related to their understanding of scientific concepts. 2. The natures of life science and material science are different, the types of students’ explanation are different, too. There are types of non-scientific explanation in life science and material science. 3. There are some difficulties when the students make science explanation： the students lack scientific knowledge or their concepts are not clear; they can not use the scientific terms and inductive logic and reasoning for their explanation, and they can not make science explanations for a special situation. 4. The students’ scientific explanations are related to their scientific knowledge and other personal characteristics factors. Finally, some suggestions for natural scientific teaching and future research were proposed according to the research results.