TY - JOUR
T1 - How Chinese and American Students construct explanations of carbon-transforming processes
AU - Zhao, Pingping
AU - Anderson, Charles W.
AU - Scott, Emily
AU - Draney, Karen
AU - Kim, Jin Ho
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 by the authors.
PY - 2019
Y1 - 2019
N2 - Previous studies reported a learning progression that described the development of American students' explanations of carbon-transforming processes. This study examined the validity of this learning progression for Chinese middle school students. The comparison of American and Chinese students' performances showed both similarities and differences between the two groups. They shared similar general trends in their learning progressions from simple force-dynamic accounts to scientific model-based reasoning. Most students did not construct model-based explanations: (1) they did not trace matter and energy separately, and (2) they did not connect phenomena at the macroscopic scale to mechanisms at the cellular and atomic-molecular scale. There were some key differences. These differences might be due to culture, exam systems, or other aspects of science education in these two countries. Implications for improving science education in each country are discussed.
AB - Previous studies reported a learning progression that described the development of American students' explanations of carbon-transforming processes. This study examined the validity of this learning progression for Chinese middle school students. The comparison of American and Chinese students' performances showed both similarities and differences between the two groups. They shared similar general trends in their learning progressions from simple force-dynamic accounts to scientific model-based reasoning. Most students did not construct model-based explanations: (1) they did not trace matter and energy separately, and (2) they did not connect phenomena at the macroscopic scale to mechanisms at the cellular and atomic-molecular scale. There were some key differences. These differences might be due to culture, exam systems, or other aspects of science education in these two countries. Implications for improving science education in each country are discussed.
KW - Carbon cycling learning progression
KW - Carbon-transforming processes
KW - Crosscutting concepts
KW - Model-based explanations Three-dimensional learning
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85063725740&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.29333/ejmste/103067
DO - 10.29333/ejmste/103067
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85063725740
SN - 1305-8215
VL - 15
JO - Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education
JF - Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education
IS - 6
M1 - em1688
ER -