Exploring Young Children's Conceptions of Learning Science Using the Draw-and-tell Technique
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2013
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越來越多的研究在探究台灣不同階段、不同學科領域學習者的學習概念。因此，本研究目的旨在以畫畫與敘說的方法探究399位北台灣（台北市、新北市、桃園縣、新竹縣與苗栗縣）大班幼兒的幼兒科學學習概念。
研究分三階段進行，第一階段先與幼兒進行團體討論、分享他們的幼兒園科學學習經驗；第二階段邀請幼兒畫下他們認為的科學學習；第三階段針對其畫作進行幼兒敘述訪談。此外，研究也輔以科學教學觀察與幼兒教師科學的訪談以利資料討論。資料分析的方法為量化內容分析以及質性資料描述。
研究結果如下：
一、 透過畫畫與敘說的技巧，66.8%的幼兒可以清楚地在畫作與敘說表達其科學學習的概念。因此，畫畫與敘說可以作為探究幼兒概念的研究方式。
二、 對於科學學習的概念，幼兒認為科學學習是觀察呈現55.4%於幼兒畫作中，認為科學學習是聽老師講述則佔有35.6%，認為科學學習是動手做占30.6%，認為科學學習是看占27.8%，科學學習是記憶占11.0%，此外，幼兒認為科學學習是閱讀、討論、記錄、測量、比較、預測以及思考則都占10%以下。而科學學習象徵則有71.4%的實物、31.6%的圖片與大圖、14.5%的書本以及10%以下的科技工具(例如投影機、電視)、放大鏡、標本、觀察箱等。此結果的呈現與歷年來台灣幼兒科學教學強調之觀察、實驗與操作內容相呼應。
三、 將幼兒學習概念中的學習活動與學習象徵進行相關分析，結果發現：科學學習概念中的聽老師講述、記憶、看、閱讀、觀察及思考與幼兒的一般學習象徵（科技工具、書本、圖片與大圖）呈現正相關。而科學學習概念中的動手做及觀察與幼兒科學性學習象徵（放大鏡、實物、標本、觀察箱）呈現正相關。再依據多元迴歸分析發現：幼兒一般性學習象徵可以其科學學習概念為：聽老師講述、記憶、看、動手做、觀察與想。而幼兒科學性學習象徵則可預測其科學學習概念為：聽老師講述、看與觀察。但研究結果未顯示高階的學習概念所倚賴的學習象徵為何。
四、 依據群集分析發現，可將幼兒科學學習概念分成三種族群：有126名幼兒為傳統型科學學習概念者，認為的科學學習為聽老師講述、記憶、看、閱讀、與討論等一般性學習活動，且其學習象徵的表現為一般性學習象徵；有227名幼兒為操作型科學學習概念者，認為科學學習為動手做、觀察、與記錄等一般性科學學習活動，且其學習象徵的表現為科學性學習象徵；另有46名幼兒為混合型科學學習概念者，除一般性學習活動、一般性科學學習活動也展現出進階的科學學習活動。
本研究讓幼兒教育研究與實務者對於台灣幼兒的科學學習概念有更深入的瞭解。文中亦提出相關的研究限制與未來研究建議。
In the past decade, a growing body of research has focused on students’ conceptions of learning science. With the notion that conceptions of learning science can potentially affect learning approaches, learning processes and learning outcomes, researchers are concerned about the learner’s conceptions of learning science. However, only a few studies have been carried out to explore young children’s conceptions of learning. This current research, therefore, extends the work on the conceptions of learning science to the population of young children in Taiwan with a focus on examining the conceptions of learning science they themselves depicted. A total of 597 young children aged six were recruited to participate in the study. These young children were from 15 kindergartens, including both public and private, located in northern Taiwan. The study was carried out in three phases. First, the children were invited to share their early experiences of learning science. Then, the draw-and-tell technique was adopted. Each child was asked to draw a picture of his/her conceptions of learning science. Finally, after drawing, each child was asked to describe his/her work individually. The results of the study are listed as follows: 1. Through the standard research procedure, 66.8% of all of the young children produced their conceptions of learning science in their drawings. Therefore, the draw-and-tell technique is a potential way of understanding young children’s conceptions of learning. 2. Content analysis was conducted to probe the young children’s conceptions of learning science. In all, 55.4 % of the children demonstrated observation in their drawing, 35.6% presented learning science as listening to the teacher, 30.6% demonstrated that learning science is doing, 27.8% had conceptions of learning science as looking, and 11% illustrated their conceptions of learning science as memorizing. The children’s conceptions of learning science as reading, discussing, recording, measuring, comparing, predicting and thinking were all below 10%. In the category of symbols of learning, objects (71.4%) are regarded as necessary components for learning; 31.6% of the children presented pictures in their drawings of conceptions of learning science, and 14.5% presented books, while technology tools, magnifying glasses, specimens, and inspection boxes were all under 10%. In addition, the hierarchical structure of their conceptions was identified. 3. Since the conceptions of learning science are a composited conception, Pearson’s correlation was used to show the relationships among the young children’s conceptions of learning science. Listening to the teacher, memorizing, looking, reading, observing and thinking were significantly and positively related to the children’s general learning symbols. There were only significant correlations among the learning activities of doing and observing for the scientific learning symbols. 4. The stepwise regression model showed that the general learning symbols drawn by the children were significant predictors of the scientific learning activities of listening to the teacher, memorizing, looking, doing, observing, and thinking. The scientific learning symbols that they drew were significant predictors of the scientific learning activities of listening to the teacher, looking, and observing. 5. To further discover the possible features of Taiwanese young children’s conceptions of learning science, their presented cluster patterns in their drawing were explored by cluster analysis. Three groups of conceptions can be identified: the traditional conceptions of learning science, the operational conceptions of learning science, and the mixed conceptions of learning science. The limitations of this study and suggestions for future work are also indicated.
In the past decade, a growing body of research has focused on students’ conceptions of learning science. With the notion that conceptions of learning science can potentially affect learning approaches, learning processes and learning outcomes, researchers are concerned about the learner’s conceptions of learning science. However, only a few studies have been carried out to explore young children’s conceptions of learning. This current research, therefore, extends the work on the conceptions of learning science to the population of young children in Taiwan with a focus on examining the conceptions of learning science they themselves depicted. A total of 597 young children aged six were recruited to participate in the study. These young children were from 15 kindergartens, including both public and private, located in northern Taiwan. The study was carried out in three phases. First, the children were invited to share their early experiences of learning science. Then, the draw-and-tell technique was adopted. Each child was asked to draw a picture of his/her conceptions of learning science. Finally, after drawing, each child was asked to describe his/her work individually. The results of the study are listed as follows: 1. Through the standard research procedure, 66.8% of all of the young children produced their conceptions of learning science in their drawings. Therefore, the draw-and-tell technique is a potential way of understanding young children’s conceptions of learning. 2. Content analysis was conducted to probe the young children’s conceptions of learning science. In all, 55.4 % of the children demonstrated observation in their drawing, 35.6% presented learning science as listening to the teacher, 30.6% demonstrated that learning science is doing, 27.8% had conceptions of learning science as looking, and 11% illustrated their conceptions of learning science as memorizing. The children’s conceptions of learning science as reading, discussing, recording, measuring, comparing, predicting and thinking were all below 10%. In the category of symbols of learning, objects (71.4%) are regarded as necessary components for learning; 31.6% of the children presented pictures in their drawings of conceptions of learning science, and 14.5% presented books, while technology tools, magnifying glasses, specimens, and inspection boxes were all under 10%. In addition, the hierarchical structure of their conceptions was identified. 3. Since the conceptions of learning science are a composited conception, Pearson’s correlation was used to show the relationships among the young children’s conceptions of learning science. Listening to the teacher, memorizing, looking, reading, observing and thinking were significantly and positively related to the children’s general learning symbols. There were only significant correlations among the learning activities of doing and observing for the scientific learning symbols. 4. The stepwise regression model showed that the general learning symbols drawn by the children were significant predictors of the scientific learning activities of listening to the teacher, memorizing, looking, doing, observing, and thinking. The scientific learning symbols that they drew were significant predictors of the scientific learning activities of listening to the teacher, looking, and observing. 5. To further discover the possible features of Taiwanese young children’s conceptions of learning science, their presented cluster patterns in their drawing were explored by cluster analysis. Three groups of conceptions can be identified: the traditional conceptions of learning science, the operational conceptions of learning science, and the mixed conceptions of learning science. The limitations of this study and suggestions for future work are also indicated.
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幼兒, 科學學習概念, 繪畫敘說, Young children, Conceptions of learning science, The draw-and-tell technique