Roles of Grain Size and Emotions in Conceptual Change When Reading Different Refutation Texts

• In Event: AER Roundtable Session Friday 1:45 pm - Gold 4
  In Roundtable Session: Learning Through Uncertainty: Curiosity, Emotion, and Creativity in Science Education

Abstract

Despite making strides in climate change education, researchers are still debating the efficacy of different instructional approaches. Although refutation texts enhance learning, their efficacy for emotionally charged topics like climate change remains understudied. We investigated how textual modifications (i.e., adding either an analogy, a refutation, or both) promote conceptual change in climate science. We measured knowledge gains, emotional responses, and explanatory depth by using pre-post assessments. All modified texts improved explanatory depth over expository text (control group). While immediate knowledge gains were comparable, refutation texts with analogies uniquely boosted positive emotions. These results suggest that combining refutation and analogical scaffolding may optimize climate education.

Authors

• Victoria Teed, Washington State University

• Onur Ramazan, Chinese University of Hong Kong

• Gan Jin, Washington State University

• Adam Ulysess Coldiron, Washington State University

• Robert W. Danielson, Washington State University - Spokane