Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the correlation between conceptions of decay and perceptions of science classroom environment in different grades of elementary students. This study employed the conceptions of decay diagnostic instrument and What is Happening in This Class (WIHIC) to investigate grade 46 elementary students conceptions of decay and perceptions of science classroom environment in the classroom environment of positive peer interaction and balanced development in middle Taiwan. Students conceptions of decay were analyzed in different classroom environments. Pearsons product-moment correlation was used. Results indicated that: (1) the distribution of students conceptions of decay in different classroom environments was different. (2) In the positive peer interaction classroom environment fourth graders conceptions of natural phenomena had a significant correlation with student cohesiveness. For sixth graders who had been studying the concept of ecology the conception of being eaten by animals was significantly correlated with student cohesiveness, cooperation, teacher support, equity, and task orientation. In the balanced development classroom environment sixth graders who hadnt studied the concept of ecology the conception of physical factors and decompose was significantly correlated with equity, and task orientation. For sixth graders who had been studied the concept of ecology the conception of decompose was significantly correlated with student involvement. Implications of these results for both teaching and research in conceptions of decay were discussed.
Keywords: | decay; science classroom; conceptions; classroom environment; perceptions of environment |
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