Daniel Dickerson, Karen Dawkins, College of Charleston, East Carolina University
According to national standards, eighth graders should possess appropriate understandings regarding groundwater and its role in the hydrologic cycle. This article describes a study of eighth-grade students to determine what types of ideas eighth graders actually possess regarding groundwater. The students completed a survey that consisted of one multiple-choice item and a drawing prompt. The results of this survey, along with videotaped class discussions about goundwater, revealed that students of this age group hold naive conceptions concerning groundwater. In addition, the students' spatial reasoning was identified as contributing to their conceptions.
Subject: Geoscience:Hydrology Grade Level: Graduate/Professional Research on Learning: Cognitive Domain:Misconceptions/barriers to learning, Geoscience Expertise:Complex Systems, Cognitive Domain Theme: Teach the Earth:Teaching Topics:Water, Teach the Earth:Course Topics:Hydrology/HydrogeologyKeywords: Evaluation data collection, Evaluation data analysis, Evaluation data reporting, Science process skills