Developing a Four-level Learning Progression and Assessment for the Concept of Buoyancy

Abstract

Despite its complexity in science, sinking and floating is a phenomenon about which students of almost all grades develop personal theories, using a variety of conceptual elements such as weight, volume, shape, and density, prior to classroom teaching. Here, we distribute students from elementary to high school according to the levels of their achievement on the learning progression regarding the buoyancy phenomenon. We suggest four levels of learning progression for buoyancy concept. We developed a 13-item, open-ended, and short essay type questionnaire to evaluate students' learning progression of buoyancy concept based on two different contexts. We evaluated the validity and reliability of the new instrument for measuring buoyancy learning progression using a series of rigorous statistical tests. Participants of this study were students in grades 3-12 (N = 1,017). A series of analyses including internal consistency analysis (Cronbach alpha), confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modeling, and Rasch analysis for item fit and person/item reliability revealed that the instrument met the quality benchmark. Furthermore, our findings revealed that students' abilities in two different contexts were differentiated. Finally, we discuss the four levels of learning progression, concept assessment items developed, and some implications based on the findings.

Die Untersuchung adaptiver Lernsettings im Themenbereich "Schwimmen und Sinken" im naturwissenschaftlichen Unterricht

“…Möller, 1999;K. Möller et al, 2002;Paik et al, 2017;Teo et al, 2017). Dadurch können zum Beispiel Instruktionsmaßnahmen gewählt werden, welche bereits empirisch als lernförderlich identifiziert wurden.…”

“…Möller, 1999;K. Möller et al, 2002;Paik et al, 2017;Teo et al, 2017;Ünal, 2008), erweist es sich als schwierig, Lernenden ein konzeptionelles Verständnis zu vermitteln (K. Möller, 1999). Im folgenden Abschnitt wird auf bestehende Unterrichtsansätze und ausgewählte Forschungsbefunde zum Schwimmen und Sinken eingegangen.…”

Differentiated instruction based on multiple intelligences as promising joyful and meaningful learning

“…The more focused the students are, the easier it will be for them to comprehend the material the teacher provides [15], [59]. Students will be stressed if their lessons are boring, irrelevant to their lives, or confusing [20], [64]. Under these circumstances, information cannot be passed through the amygdala to a higher level of thinking or the brain's memory center [22], [65].…”

Rasch analysis in physics education research: Why measurement matters

“…The Rasch model is especially suitable for linking tests and tracking students' progression, which are both very important for PER. "Learning progressions" are most often built using Rasch model calculations; see e.g., [11,13,17,19,20,40,41]. Fulmer et al [17] used the Rasch model and the Force Concept Inventory to explore a proposed force and motion learning progression on a sample of high school and university students.…”

“…In a recent large-scale study on learning progression for energy ideas from upper elementary through high school, the authors also used Rasch analysis [40]. Paik et al [41] developed a four-level learning progression and assessment for the concept of buoyancy.…”