Conceptual Change in Physical Geography and Environmental Sciences through Mental Model Building: The Example of Groundwater

Abstract

This research tested the hypothesis that students' erroneous mental models about groundwater will change towards more valid concepts if they are taught on the basis of a mental model-building strategy that focuses on the clarification of students' misconceptions. To examine the hypothesis a quasi-experimental research design was chosen. The methodology adopted in the study used both qualitative and quantitative methods. To promote conceptual change, a teaching and learning approach aiming at mental model building developed by Taylor et al. (2003) was adopted in the experimental group, while the control group was taught in a traditional lecture style. The procedure was applied to investigate the mental models of 30 German undergraduate teacher education students in geography. More than 75% of the students' conceptions were either unclear or incorrect, based on simple, 'common sense' views of groundwater deposits. After the intervention the experimental group revealed significantly fewer misconceptions in their mental models about groundwater than did the control group. Teaching and learning by the mental model-building approach therefore seems to help undergraduate students to improve and refine their mental models of the abstract concept of groundwater occurrence in natures. The findings also suggest that the mental model-building approach could be a feasible strategy to induce conceptual change of other natural and cultural phenomena in geography and environmental sciences.

Changes in primary school pupils' conceptions of water in the context of Science, Technology, and Society (STS) instruction

“…However, clear higher-level changes occurred only with certain pupils. This tendency is similar to that noted in previous studies, in which a quarter of pupils do not improve their conceptions at all (Reinfried, 2006), indicating the slow process of conceptual change.…”

“…Water-related concepts such as sinking and floating, or buoyancy, have been analysed in several studies (Author, 2005;Kawasaki & Herrenkohl, 2004;Turcotte, 2012), as have evaporation, boiling, and condensation (Tytler, 2000;Varelas Pappas & Rife, 2006), and, more recently, water pollution (Österlind & Halldén, 2007) and ground water (Reinfried, 2006). According to these previous water studies, pupils' preconceptions are rather stable and difficult to change during short school learning projects.…”

Students’ alternative conceptions of tropical cyclone causes and processes

“…This statement is even more salient when we consider that current research recognises that students develop multiple representations (mental models or schemas) of how the world works based on their prior learning and experiences both inside and outside of formal classroom contexts (Reinfried, 2006). Mental models inconsistent with current expert thought are often referred to as alternative conceptions or frameworks.…”

Junior secondary school students' conceptions about plate tectonics

“…Research of this nature can inform professional development for teachers in effective implementation of geography curricula and evaluate instructional approaches. Some examples of how this paucity of research is being addressed include the identification of students' alternative conceptions about groundwater (Reinfried, 2006), cyclones (Lane & Coutts, 2012) and desertification (Schubert, 2014).…”