Chinese Journal of Science Education

Abstract

According to results of our previous studies, we found that the Cognitive apprenticeship group (CA group) students attained outperformed than the Non-cognitive apprenticeship group (Non-CA group) students. They also indicated that the CA group used more predicates with equilibration process nature, and constructing the mental models of chemical equilibrium with dynamic nature of matter. But what were the causes to make such qualitative and quantitative differences in the learning effect between the students of CA and Non-CA groups? The purpose of this study was from the aspect of behavior, to deeply compare these two groups about the patterns of teachers, students and interactions between teachers and students to identify the mechanisms of the interactions between the teacher and the student on co-constructing scientific knowledge during the one-to-one tutoring activities via CHILDES (Child Language Data Exchange System). Our result showed that the CA group teacher adopted high frequent asking questions, and followed the responses of students to propose related-open questions to provide students more opportunities to think deeper and deeper. Especially during the activities about the nature of reversibility and dynamics, the teacher addressed series of questions to inspire the student to engage in deeper thinking. As a result, it led students to generate more predictions and explanations to achieve better learning effect. The higher frequent behaviors of the Non-CA group teacher were distributed in asking questions, direct instruction and responses categories. Most of the teacher’s questions are closed questions, and less related to student’s prior response, just following the line of teacher’s teaching plan. As a result, most of the Non-CA group students answered teacher’s questions by brief yes-or-no responses or filling the blanks directly. After students giving out their answers, the teacher seldom continued to ask related questions, so the students gained a worse learning effect. Implications for science education are discussed.

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