The Development of Student Conceptions of the Earth-Sun Relationship in an Inquiry-Based Curriculum
Christina Salierno, Edelson Daniel, Bruce Sherin September 2005 Journal of Geoscience Education v53 n4 p422
This case study published in the Journal of Geoscience Education features an in-depth investigation of three fifth-grade students throughout their participation in a curriculum on Earth surface temperature in order to compare the students' thinking before, during and after the unit. Throughout the study, the students exhibited misconceptions identified in current literature as well as novel misconceptions. The study demonstrates that, although the curriculum was found to be partially effective, the students retained some of the misconceptions with which they began the study. The study concludes that the depth of one's prior knowledge affects how readily new knowledge is constructed. The paper includes a discussion of student conceptions and potential implications for the design of the curriculum unit.
