The purpose of this study was to examine whether teaching materials designed around fourth graders' preconceptions effectively produced conceptual change about light propagation. Four Taiwanese fourth-grade intact classes (194 subjects), taught by two teachers, participated in this study. The experimental group was exposed to the conceptual change materials (CCM), and the control group was exposed to the current traditional materials (non-CCM). A 10-item paper-and-pencil instrument for assessing conceptual change was developed, which included three categories: Category I, a window image, a phenomenon children observe in life experiences; Category II, a pinhole image, a classroom demonstration of how light travels; and Category III, shadows, an advanced application of light propagation. T tests were employed to assess differences between the pretest and posttest in each group. ANCOVA with the General Linear Model procedure was used to assess differences between the control and experimental groups. No teacher effect and no interaction between pretest and treatment were found in the procedure; therefore, pretest scores were used as the covariate and posttest scores were used as the response in the analysis. Results revealed that, both in the overall test and in Category I, significant differences existed between the experimental group and the control group after the teaching interventions. However, no significant differences existed between the groups in either Category II or Category III after teaching interventions. Children in the experimental group performed significantly better than did children in the control group in Category I (t=-2.44, p<.05 posttest; t=-2.57, p<.05 delayed posttest), but there was no significant difference between the groups in Categories II and III. CCM appears to work better in life application than in classroom activities and advanced application. The study suggested that the CCM teaching approach was effective, but the low percentage (55%) of the scientifically accepted concepts retained after teaching intervention needs to be improved. The test-retest stability between posttest and delayed posttest indicated that the CCM teaching approach had a lasting effect after two weeks. / Graduation date: 1996

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 1982. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-107). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 149-166).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2000. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 204-225). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Delaware, 2009. / Principal faculty advisor: Julie A. Hubbard, Dept. of Psychology. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2003. / Advisor: Dr. Barbara Licht, Florida State University, Dept. of Psychology. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Apr. 8, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Not available / text

Not available / text

No description available.

There is no abstract available for this dissertation. / Department of Educational Leadership