This study used a skill theory framework (Fischer & Bidell, 2006) and a microdevelopmental lens to characterize how six grade 8 students' conceptual understanding of conservation of matter changed in the context of a short discussion-based instructional unit. On average, students' conceptual understanding increased significantly, suggesting that a discussion-based approach might be effective in supporting students' learning. The general characteristics of focus students' microdevelopmental pathways were in accordance with those found in other microdevelopmental studies (e.g., Yan & Fischer, 2002), but changes in complexity of misconceptions might be intricately linked to how students learned conservation of matter. The analysis of conversational dimensions suggested that doubting, among other factors, might play an important role in students' learning. This study argues for an integrated microdevelopmental approach that includes conversational dimensions and characterizes changes in the complexity of misconceptions.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.116130 |
| Date | January 2009 |
| Creators | Doucerain, Marina, 1982- |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Arts (Department of Curriculum and Instruction.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 003133289, proquestno: AAIMR67075, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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