Abstract
This case study describes a teacher's development of and creativity in manipulating physical models in an astronomy course for in-service science teachers of K-8. Specifically, she organized a data table from several charts of numbers, constructed a moon-ball model in addition to a 2-D model, and created a hula hoop model as a concrete realization of her mental model. Examination of the transformation and construction processes revealed how she revised existing models and added new elements. These reconstruction experiences afforded her with a higher level of comprehension and self-awareness of her mental models. Three of the teacher's actions contributed to her increased understanding and deployment of the models: she enhanced her autonomy by changing the given models and solving problems she was interested in; she communicated with her partners and shared her knowledge by materializing her models; and she constructed new models on the basis of her experience. This case study shows that the transformation process, especially a cascade of small steps with the emergence of a more dramatic departure, is a key to generating scientific knowledge
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 948-966 |
Number of pages | 19 |
Journal | Science Education |
Volume | 91 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 2007 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Education
- History and Philosophy of Science