Understanding the beliefs informing children’s commonsense theories of motion: the role of everyday object variables in dynamic event predictions

Abstract

research.stmarys.ac.uk/ TITLE Understanding the beliefs informing children's commonsense theories of motion: The role of everyday object variables in dynamic event predictions.

Exploring the Shift in Children’s Incline Motion Predictions: Fragmentation and Integration of Knowledge as Possible Contributors

“…Everyday experiences appear to influence understanding of fall in particular, suggesting higher stability early on. In comparison, young children show a much wider range of reasoning for horizontal motion, suggesting the understanding may not be fully stable (Hast & Howe, 2012). The initial focus on horizontal motion in formal teaching may result in children combining information from both dimensions but with more explicit emphasis placed on the role of the horizontal.…”

“…It has been noted that younger children tend to rely more on visual aspects in their reasoning about physical events rather than on conceptual factors, with trends towards making use of more conceptual knowledge at later ages (e.g. Hast & Howe, 2012;Leuchter, Saalbach, & Hardy, 2014). The salience of the visual element of an incline (i.e.…”

“…While there may be research on different choices children make in their reasoning about object motion, based on aspects such as using different object features (e.g. Hast & Howe, 2012), there is currently no information on the subjectivity of the trajectories themselves. The overarching question sought to be answered within the present research was what subjective judgements primary school aged children make in relation to object speed predictions, with particular attention given to object mass and the differentiation and integration of motion dimensions.…”

Technology and Early Science Education: Examining Generalist Primary School Teachers’ Views on Tacit Knowledge Assessment Tools

“…in that it taps underlying knowledge structures that are set to provide quick responses without conscious awareness but elicit feelings of familiarity (Collins, 2010;Polanyi, 1967). In the context of scientific conceptions the work collectively shows that children may hold explicitly stated ideas about object motion that are incommensurate with accepted scientific views such as that heavy objects always fall faster than lighter objects and that lighter objects roll faster along even surfaces than heavier ones (Hast & Howe, 2012. However, these same children appear to hold underlying tacit knowledge about relevant events that indicates a more accurate representation of such scientific concepts but that does not appear in their verbalised theories (Hast & Howe, 2015, 2017Howe, Taylor-Tavares, & Devine, 2012; also see Hast, 2014;Howe, 2014).…”

“…First, a key element contributing to the lack of engagement seems to be the issue of knowledge of and attitudes towards science (Jenkins & Nelson, 2005). Children enter formal education with a wide range of conceptions relating to science, such as the commonly held view that objects fall faster than others because they are heavier (Hast & Howe, 2012; for a more comprehensive overview of misconceptions in primary science see e.g. Allen, 2014).…”