Astronomical Pills one-shot questions about the Universe Francesca Cavallotti Simona Romaniello StefanoSandrelli.

Astronomical Pillsone-shot questions about the Universe

Francesca CavallottiSimona Romaniello

StefanoSandrelli

Evolution (if any) of misconceptions over ages and social-educational factors.

GOAL

Universe PerceptionDistances and sizesHow gravity works

To explore the naive view of the universe developed by youngsters of different ages

FOCUS

Origin of MisconceptionsNew (scientific-sense) knowledge modifies itself

to fit the pre-existing conceptual scheme.

Common-sense framework

Scientific-sense framework

perceptioninformallanguage

social relationship

formallanguage

logicalabstraction

hypothetical-deductivereasoning

Environment Representation

By studying misconceptions it is possible to improve educational strategies

Modern theoriessocial framework and educational levels other than age are involved.

Misconceptions block the way to new learning

(contents and reasoning)

First analysis on children’ misconceptions only. Piaget’s theory: cognitive development by phases.

Interaction between cognitive structures and contents play a role.

Astronomy is important to highlight several misconceptions and to develop abstraction abilities essential to scientific knowledge

Since 1970-80 surveys have been done to investigate misconceptions

in teen-ager and adult groups

Enter our work….

Misconceptions DO not disappear with age!

Test instructionsStudents were asked to answer questions as quickly as possible to let the spontaneous imaging came out.

Questions structure2 test versions to allow comparison on same topics.

•open- and closed-answer questions •multiple-choice questions with common-sense answers and scientific-sense answers.

Sample size>1300 tests in 2 years of school conferences at OAB (2003-2005).

3 age groups:217 students of 13-14 yrs (intermediate school)272 students of 14-16 yrs (high school first 2 yrs)841 students of >16 yrs (high school last 3 yrs)

Preliminary results on 6 of the entire 10-question test.

School type and grade

Infinity Infinity+ Objs

Infinity+ Adjs

Infinity +Objs + Adjs

NothingEverythingObjects AdjectivesBigSpace

Big Space+ Objs

Big Space+ Adjs

13-14 yrs

14-16 yrs

> 16 yrs

men women

tot

13-14 yrs14-16 yrs

>16 yrs

44%46%56%

If I say Universe, what do you think about?

Images “from” the Universe

13-14 yrs14-16 yrs

>16 yrs

30%33%21%

What kind of objects?

Stars Galaxies Planets Earth Celestialbodies

Sun Moon Living beings

Mily Way

Sky Light points

Constellations

13-14 yrs

14-16 yrs

> 16 yrs

PlanetsStars

Galaxies

men women

tot

Dark BlackBigHugeCold

Matter HoleBang

Cold Dark Matter

Images “from” the Universe

Cosmic Box

13-14 yrs

> 16 yrs

14-16 yrs

edge

2 different objects

13-14 yrs14-16 yrs

>16 yrs

8%5%2%

Drawing rate

Images “from” the Universe

Solar System

13-14 yrs

> 16 yrs

14-16 yrs

13-14 yrs14-16 yrs

>16 yrs

8%5%2%

Drawing rate

Images “from” the Universe

Empty Expanse

13-14 yrs14-16 yrs

>16 yrs

8%5%2%

Drawing rate

13-14 yrs

14-16 yrs

> 16 yrs

log (step)

all ages

If the Earth-Sun distance was equal to one step:

how many steps to go to Jupiter?

0 0.5 1 1.5 2.5 3.5 4.5 5.5 6.52 3 4 5 6 7

log (step)

all ages

0 0.5 1 1.5 2.5 3.5 4.5 5.5 6.52 3 4 5 6 7

how many steps to go to the nearest star (other than the Sun)?

value2345

rate22%20%12%14%

Values remarkably close to the real one

Wide range of answers!

Distance and Size in the Universe

“Solar System as an all-like astronomical box” (Dussault, M., 1999, “How do visitors understand the Universe? Studies yield information on planning exhibitions and programs, Association of Science-Technology Centers Newsletter)

If the Earth-Sun distance was equal to one step:

how many steps to Jupiter?a) about 1b) about 20c) about 5d) more than 100

how many steps to the nearest star (other than the Sun)?a) at least 50b) at least 500c) at least 5000d) at least 50000

14-16 yrs

> 16 yrs

14-16 yrs

> 16 yrs

No hierarchy in the UniverseUniverse Solar System

... On the other hand ...

The following statement is true or false:the Solar System belongs to a galaxy.

men totwomen

for all ages

From previous questions ...

Subjects do not understand when discrepancies arise from comparing common- and scientific-sense frameworks until they are forced to combine them in a common framework.

Keywords or a specific language form affect answers more than the real knowledge.

Language and Framework bias

Causes?

The gravity force is:a) the force which makes the Sun attracts the Earthb) the force which makes us fall c) the interaction force between two massive bodies d) the energy of a falling body Most people seems to have

assimilatedthe gravity concept.The bigger is age, the higher the rate of c answer.

B answer doubles a answer.Gravity perceived as a terrestrial force more than an universal interaction.

all ages

Formal language affects more students in high school than in the intermediate one.

About 10% of d answer.Overlapping of force and energy concepts

Use of formal language

(e.g. Calcidese, P., 2002, L’Universo che non c’è. Preconcetti e misconcezioni degli studenti in età adolescenziale nell’ambito della fisica e conseguenze sulle idee riferite all’origine ed evoluzione dell’Universo, thesis)

all ages

Bodies are near spherical because:a) they spin around the Sunb) the sphere is the perfect geometric shapec) they spin around themselves

d2) make up your own answer

d1) all men stay with feet on the ground and head up

The c answer is the most selected.

4 of 5 (14-16) yrs : big mass8 of 15 (>16 yrs): gravity force

The d2 answer collected only the 5%. In particular:

NOBODY chose the d1 answer

18% of all ages(only >16 yrs)

Variations on the theme: d1 instead of d2

Very few people have assimilated the concept of gravity,

Use of informal language

Omitting a keyword...

What kind of relationship exists between radio waves and gamma rays?a) gamma rays are rays and radio waves are waves b1) are both a type of light, but with different wavelengthc) gamma rays do not existd) gamma rays are faster than radio waves

14-16 yrs

> 16 yrs

14-16 yrs

> 16 yrs

The language formalism

significantly affects the

subjects’ answers

independently on the

instruction grade.

What kind of relationship exists between radio waves and gamma rays?a) gamma rays are rays and radio wave are wavesb2) are both a type of light c) gamma rays do not existd) gamma rays are faster than radio waves

Framework and language introduce strong biases

Age and schooling level do not modify the most relevant ideas of Universe

Some misconceptions proved to be tough to eradicate and resistant to time

Lessons learned

AND ...

The spontaneous imaging does not come out as expectedBias due to testing environment school-like framework?

Very short time to read the questionsQuestions perceived as a school test!

Thanks to Stefano AndreonFabio Governato

References

Cavallini, G., 1995, La formazione dei concetti scientifici. Senso comune, scienza, apprendimento, Firenze, La nuova Italia Editrice

Mayer, M., 1990, Conoscenza scientifica e conoscenza comune. Analisi dell’incidenza di fattori scolastici ed extrascolastici nell’apprendimento della fisica, Roma, I Quaderni di Villa Falconieri, CEDE

Dupré, F., Noce, G., Vicentini-Missoni, M., 1981, “Modelli fisici pre-newtoniani nelle conoscenze degli adulti”, Scuola e Città, 2, pp. 53-64

Posner, G., Strike, K., Hewson, P., Gerzog, W., 1982, “Accomodation of Ascientific Conceptions: Towards Theory of Conceptual Change”, Science Education, 2, pp.211-227

Dussault, M., 1999, “How do visitors understand the Universe? Studies yield information on planning exhibitions and programs, Association of Science-Technology Centers Newsletter

Viennot, L., 1979, Le raisonnement spontané en dynamique élémentaire, Paris, Hermann

Calcidese, P., 2002, L’Universo che non c’e’. Preconcetti e misconcezioni degli studenti in eta’ adolescenziale nell’ambito della fisica e conseguenze sulle idee riferite all’origine ed evoluzione dell’Universo, thesis

Gardin, S., 2003, “Il passaggio dalla conoscenza ingenua alla conoscenza scientifica accreditata nell’insegnamento dell’astronomia”, Giornale di Astronomia, 2, pp.28-35

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 21

all ages

649

If the Earth-Sun distance was equal to one step: how many steps will you need to go to Jupiter?

Distances in the Universe

What kind of relationship exists between radio waves and gamma rays?a) gamma rays are rays and radio wave are wavesb1) are both light type, but with different wavelengthc) gamma rays do not existd) gamma rays are faster than radio waves

13-14 yrs

14-16 yrs

> 16 yrs

men women

tot

If the Earth-Sun distance was equal to one step:how many steps will you need to go to the nearest star (other than the Sun)?

13-14 yrs

14-16 yrs

> 16 yrs

men women

tot

Adjectives statistic

13-14 yrs

14-16 yrs

> 16 yrs

men women

tot

If the diameter of Sun was equal to the length of your arm:

Earth would be as big as:a) a flyb) a pinheadc) a pepper graind) an apple

Jupiter would be as big as:a) a plumb) a nutc) a flyd) a clenched fist

all ages

all ages

Overestimate Jupiter real size

No idea of Earth size