Fourth- and Fifth-Grade Students' Naive Conceptions and Misconceptions About Energy

• In Event: 14.044 - Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: 14.044-15 - Diverse Approaches to Achievement, Learning, and Understanding in Physical Education

Abstract

This study investigated students’ naïve conceptions and misconceptions about energy. Standardized testing was employed to identify students with different levels of knowledge about the cardiovascular system. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with students from each performing groups for their understandings of energy in relation to food choices, physical activities, and exercises. Analysis of the interviews generated six categories of naïve conceptions and two categories of misconceptions. Two conceptual change theories, including Chi’s ontological change theory and Ohlsson’s resubsumption theory were chosen to analyze why naïve conceptions and misconceptions are robust to change. The study confirms what Chinn and Samarapungavan (2009) suggested, that educators should develop different strategies to address the obstacles brought by the naïve conceptions and misconceptions.

Authors

• Tan Zhang, Arkansas State University

• Catherine D. Ennis, University of North Carolina - Greensboro