Building a learning progression for celestial motion: An exploration of students' reasoning about the seasons

Abstract

We present the development of a construct map addressing the reason for the seasons, as a subset of a larger learning progression on celestial motion. Five classes of 8th grade students (N = 38) participated in a 10‐day curriculum on the seasons. We revised a hypothetical seasons construct map using a Rasch model analysis of students' pre/post‐assessments followed by a closer examination of individual student explanations. Our proposed construct map is consistent with the Framework for K‐12 Science Education [National Research Council. (2012). Framework for K‐12 Science Education. Washington, DC: National Academy Press] but includes a more nuanced discussion of critical conceptual and spatial connections. Movement up the construct map begins with learning foundational concepts about the Earth's motion in space and how observational patterns of the Sun relate to temperature changes. Movement into the upper levels of the seasons construct map occurs as instruction supports students in making sense of how the space‐based perspective of their location on a spherical Earth can be used to account for observable patterns of change. However, our findings suggest that making this connection between Earth‐based observations of the Sun and the motions and perspectives of the Earth in space is one of the major challenges that limit student progress in this domain. Findings have implications for instruction designed to support astronomy education as described by the Next Generation Science Standards [NGSS Lead States. (2013) Next Generation Science Standards: For the States, By the States. Achieve, Inc. on behalf of the twenty‐six states and partners that collaborated on the NGSS. Retrieved from: http://www.nextgenscience.org/next-generation-science-standards]. Instruction that supports progress along this construct map, and the larger celestial motion learning progression, must purposefully support the spatially complex connection between the Earth's motion in space and phenomena observed from the Earth's surface. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 51:902–929, 2014.

A Systematic Review: The Next Generation Science Standards and the Increased Cultural Diversity

“…For example, nowadays, the field of astronomy heavily relies on processing big data. The field of engineering and biology is based on using online laboratories (Chiu et al, 2015;Plummer & Maynard, 2014). These are only a few examples of the significance of changes that the modern world of science undergoes.…”

“…10; 2017 using software. For instance, Plummer and Maynard (2014) reveal that "the NGSS uses this big idea to organize standards towards facilitating student learning of astronomy across K-12 education" (p. 903).…”

“…Specifically, Plummer and Maynard (2014) accentuate that studying astronomy pupils learn to relate obtained insights to climate change. What is more, climate changes are related to current and prospected environmental issues.…”

“…What is more, climate changes are related to current and prospected environmental issues. Besides, environmental changes are connected to economic costs; whereas, the latter is assumed to correlate strongly with social aspects of a human being (Plummer & Maynard, 2014). The ability to construct such complex chains of reasoning hints that the today's youth has globalized thinking.…”

The effects of teaching applications with real life content on the levels of pre-service teachers' abilities to associate daily life with astronomy and electrical learning topics

“…However, students are not able to understand targeted topics due to the astronomical topics being abstract, lack of practice, or their instructional focus (Korur, 2015;Steinberg & Cormier, 2013). Not only students but also pre-service teachers and teachers have incomplete and inadequate knowledge or even misconceptions (Bektaşlı, 2016;Brunsell & Marcks, 2005;Emrahoğlu & Öztürk, 2009;İyibil & Sağlam Arslan, 2010;Kalkan & Kıroğlu, 2007;Kanlı, 2014;Korur, 2015;Kurnaz, Gültekin & İyibil, 2013;Ogan-Bekiroğlu, 2007;Plummer, 2009;Plummer & Maynard, 2014;Sadler et al, 2013;Small & Plummer, 2014;Steinberg and Cormier, 2013;Trumper, 2000;Trundle et al, 2002Trundle et al, , 2006Türk et al, 2012;Türkoğlu et al, 2009;Ünsal, Güneş & Ergin 2001;Wilhelm et al, 2007). Misconceptions related to the astronomy among individuals occur during primary education and continue until university years (Ünsal, Güneş & Ergin, 2001).…”