Abstract
This study was conducted to explore the effects of constructivist-oriented instruction on fifth graders’ cognitive structures about basic electromagnetism. Furthermore, such effects on learners’ acquisition in key ideas about basic electromagnetism were investigated. The subjects of this study were sixty-nine fifth graders in Taiwan, who were assigned to either a constructivist-oriented instruction group or a traditional teaching group. The research treatment was conducted for three weeks, and the interview data were gathered a week after the instruction about basic electromagnetism. The interview narratives were transcribed into the format of “flow maps.” In addition, the key ideas about basic electromagnetism shown in the flow maps were also investigated through a series of content analyses. The results of this study revealed that the students in the constructivist-oriented instruction group, in general, attained better learning outcomes about basic electromagnetism after instruction, either in terms of the extent of concepts or the integration within their cognitive structures. Furthermore, the students in the constructivist-oriented instruction group likely learned more key ideas about basic electromagnetism. This study suggested that science teachers could combine the POE (Predict-Observe-Explain) strategy and the conflict map strategy to promote learners’ conceptual learning and knowledge construction in science classrooms.
| Keywords: | constructivist; cognitive structure; key ideas; flow |
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