Chinese Journal of Science Education

Abstract

This was a correlational study of the development of students' conceptions of water-line horizontality and water-line height measurement. It was found that the conception of correct water-line height measurement was equivalent to the mental ab ility of constructing an external reference frame and, thus, was a necessary condition for the conceptual development of water-line horizontality. Of the 954 students who demonstrated a correct conception of horizontality, as much as 97% demonstrated a co rrect conception of height measurement. We also found that a correct conception of height measurement was not a sufficient condition for a correct conception of horizontality. Of the 1,681 students who demonstrated a correct conception of height measureme nt, only about 55% demonstrated a correct conception of horizontality. This insufficiency explained the students' limited learning in any activity. The ration of students who first developed the correct conception of height measurement to those who first developed a correct conception of horizontality was about 30 (p < 0.001). The data also indicated the type of incorrect height measurements performed by students changed from problem to problem. These changes indicated that the process of choosing the typ e of height measurement in different problem involved different aspects of space construction. The conception of height measurement, or the construction ability. A group of 2,400 elementary school, high school, and vocational school students comprised the sample. The study improved our understanding of students' conceptual development of space, and the results will be valuable for the design or diagnosing of additional learning activities.

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