Development of science concepts within a Vygotskian framework

Howe, Ann C.

doi:10.1002/(sici)1098-237x(199601)80:1<35::aid-sce3>3.3.co;2-t

Cited by 13 publications

(21 citation statements)

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“…Students' postinstruction concept maps included more general concepts related to the process of convection such as "convection currents-go down-and in circles," or "heat-has convection-with currents-in water." These were linked to many of the prior spontaneous con- 146 JONES, CARTER, AND RUA cepts of the premap indicating that some of the instructional experiences had been linked to the spontaneous concepts of heat and that students may have integrated formal and spontaneous experiences (Howe, 1996).…”

Section: Assessing Prior Knowledge Of Heat and Convectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Development of Conceptual Ecologies: Communities of Concepts Related to Convection and Heat

Jones

Carter

Rua

2000

J. Res. Sci. Teach.

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In this study of fifth-grade students, we examined the relationships and development of communities of concepts related to heat and convection. The study involved five classes of fifth-grade students who worked with a partner for a series of heat and convection laboratory investigations. Students' knowledge was assessed before and after instruction through the use of a written test, concept maps, card sort tasks, and interviews. During instruction each dyad was audiorecorded and observed by a field researcher. The patterns and connections among students' conceptual ecologies related to heat and convection as well as the types of schemas that were accessed preceding and subsequent to instruction are described. The types of knowledge elicited by each type of assessment are identified. Findings include the influence of familial and cultural experiences (such as airplanes, weather patterns, and religious beliefs) on conceptual development, as well as the extent to which competing phenomena (evaporation and dissolving) have on the development of new conceptual understandings. The study also found that each assessment measure elicited different types of knowledge. Concept maps were effective in describing students' existing schemas related to heat prior to instruction. Multidimensional scaling and the card sorting task provided information on students' conceptual organization for clusters of concepts. The interviews and dyad discourse transcripts were most effective in revealing the processes and prior knowledge that students used as they interpreted new observations in light of preexisting experiences.

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Section: Assessing Prior Knowledge Of Heat and Convectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Exploring the Development of Conceptual Ecologies: Communities of Concepts Related to Convection and Heat

Jones

Carter

Rua

2000

J. Res. Sci. Teach.

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“…Looking at the aforementioned aspects of mediator, mediation and metaphors, a number of perspectives from Vygotsky's sociocultural theory seem pertinent to this phenomenon. According to the sociocultural theory the teacher is cited as a mediator of students' learning; and is involved in the continuous interaction between instruction and student conceptual change (Carter, Westbrook & Thompkins, 1999;Howe, 1996;Mason, 2000). In addition, the sociocultural theory asserts that the key role of teachers is to mediate students to be active members and contributors within the social context where mediation occurs through teachers' use of cultural tools (material and psychological tools) (Blanck, 1990;Miller, 1993).…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, another key construct of the sociocultural theory is the emphasis on the relationship between language and thought within the zone of proximal development: thought is expressed through language. That is, teachers act through metaphors and other figures of speech, like tools to shape and specify their relations to students and their teaching circumstances: a repository of linguistic artefacts used in meaningmaking processes in the classroom (Hodson & Hodson, 1998a, 1998bHowe, 1996;Kozulin, 1990;Miller, 1993).…”

Section: Theoretical Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teachers' mindsets and the integration of computer technology

Subramaniam¹

2007

Brit J Educational Tech

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The paper addresses how the construct of zone of proximal development was used as an analytical lens to examine teachers' integration of computer technology for teaching. The research question 'What are the teachers' psychological insights that serve to mediate student learning?' was the focus of the study. Six secondary school science teachers took part in the 5-month study. Data were collected using qualitative methods. Analysis of participants' natural metaphoric language revealed four themes that framed participants' psychological insights: mediation as a journey; mediation as adopting roles; mediation as mutual investment; and, mediation as liberating and/or domesticating. Collectively, these psychological insights mediated learning actions within the zone of proximal development. IntroductionIn many countries, recent reforms in teaching and professional education have put great emphasis on the use of computer technology for teaching. For anyone concerned with this area of educational computing, a better understanding of teaching with the use of computer technology is now urgently needed. Current research from educational computing literature emphasises that computer use and student-learning outcomes are closely linked to the teachers' use of computer technology in the classroom (Becker,

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“…However, these studies found it difficult to assess interaction patterns beyond the confines of the task employed. Whether the ZPD is contextspecific remains open, with little attention being paid to the area of science (Hodson, 1999;Howe, 1996;Portes, Zady, & Dunham,1998;Shepardson, 1999).…”

Section: Theoretical Underpinningsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Examining classroom interactions related to difference in students' science achievement

2002

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ABSTRACT:The current study examines the cognitive supports that underlie achievement in science by using a cultural historical framework (L. S. Vygotsky (1934Vygotsky ( /1986), Thought and Language, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.) and the activity setting (AS) construct (R. G. Tharp & R. Gallimore (1988), Rousing minds to life: Teaching, learning and schooling in social context, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, MA.) with its five features: personnel, motivations, scripts, task demands, and beliefs. Observations were made of the classrooms of seventh-grade science students, 32 of whom had participated in a prior achievement-related parent -child interaction or home study (P. R. Portes, M. F. Zady, & R. M. Dunham (1998), Journal of Genetic Psychology, 159, 163 -178). The results of a quantitative analysis of classroom interaction showed two features of the AS: personnel and scripts. The qualitative field analysis generated four emergent phenomena related to the features of the AS that appeared to influence student opportunity for conceptual development. The emergent phenomenon were science activities, the building of learning, meaning in lessons, and the conflict over control. Lastly, the results of the two-part classroom study were compared to those of the home science AS of high and low achievers. Mismatches in the AS features in the science classroom may constrain the opportunity to learn. Educational implications are discussed.

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Development of science concepts within a Vygotskian framework

Cited by 13 publications

References 0 publications

Exploring the Development of Conceptual Ecologies: Communities of Concepts Related to Convection and Heat

Exploring the Development of Conceptual Ecologies: Communities of Concepts Related to Convection and Heat

Teachers' mindsets and the integration of computer technology

Examining classroom interactions related to difference in students' science achievement

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