A typology of causal models for plate tectonics: Inferential power and barriers to understanding

• Published in: International journal of science education Vol. 22; no. 9; pp. 937 - 977
• Main Author: Gobert, Janice D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Taylor & Francis Group 01.09.2000; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Cognitive Processes; Curriculum subjects: programmes and methods; Earth Science; Educational sciences; Elementary Education; Epistemology; Evaluation; Exact and natural sciences; Geology; Middle Schools; Model Building; Plate Tectonics; Science Education; Teaching methods; USA; Secondary School Student; Geography; Earth science; Interpreting; Causality; Comprehension
• ISSN: 0950-0693; 1464-5289
• DOI: 10.1080/095006900416857

Forty-seven fifth grade students (40 group-tested and 7 individually interviewed) read a text describing plate tectonics. At four points they drew diagrams of the spatial, causal, and dynamic processes inside the earth. These diagrams along with students' corresponding explanations, think-aloud protocols (for those individually interviewed), and answers to inference questions were analysed in order to characterize students' models of the interior of the earth, and models of its causal and dynamic processes. Types and characteristics of models, and reasoning associated with them are presented. Additionally, data from two exemplary students are presented as case studies. One student has considerable misunderstandings regarding both her understanding of the spatial layout of the interior of the earth and its causal mechanisms. The second student is more typical in terms of his initial models, but makes large gains in revising his understanding about the causal and dynamic processes inside the earth. In both cases, data are used to infer how each student used their diagrams as artefacts for externalizing knowledge, inference making, and model-revision.