A Cross-Age Study of Students'Conceptual Understanding of Interdependency inSeed Dispersal, Pollination, and Food Chains Using a Constructivist Theoretical Framework
| dc.contributor.advisor | Dr. Glenda S. Carter, Committee Chair | en_US |
| dc.contributor.author | Smith, Shirley McCraw | en_US |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2010-04-02T19:09:14Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2010-04-02T19:09:14Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2004-07-28 | en_US |
| dc.degree.discipline | Science Education | en_US |
| dc.degree.level | dissertation | en_US |
| dc.degree.name | PhD | en_US |
| dc.description | North Carolina State University Theses Mathematics, Science & Technology Education. | |
| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this research was to investigate students' understanding of interdependency across grade levels. Interdependency concepts selected for this study included food chains, pollination, and seed dispersal. Children's everyday concepts and scientific concepts across grade levels represented the focus of conceptual understanding. The researcher interviewed a total of 24 students across grade levels, six students each from grades 3, 7, and 10, and 6 college students. Data were collected by means of interviews and card sorts. A constructivist theoretical framework formed the groundwork for presenting the focus of this study and for interpreting the results of the interview data. Results were analyzed on the basis of identifying student responses to interview questions as either everyday concepts or as scientific concepts, along with transition through the zone of proximal development (ZPD) by mediation, as developed by Vygotsky Results revealed that children across grade levels vary in their everyday and scientific understanding of the three interdependency concepts. Results for seed dispersal showed little evidence of understanding for grade 3, that is, seed dispersal was not within the zone of proximal development (ZPD) for grade 3 students. Students in grades 7 and 10 showed a developing transition within the zone of proximal development from everyday to scientific understanding, and college students demonstrated scientific understanding of seed dispersal. For pollination and food chains, results showed that grades 3, 7, and 10 were in transition from everyday to scientific understanding, and all college students demonstrated scientific understanding. The seed dispersal concept proved more complex than pollination and food chains. The findings of this study have implications for classroom teachers. By understanding the dynamic nature of the ZPD continuum for students, teachers can plan instruction to meet the needs of each student. | en_US |
| dc.format | Thesis (Ph.D.)--North Carolina State University. | |
| dc.identifier.other | etd-07212003-213135 | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/resolver/1840.16/5188 | |
| dc.rights | I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to NC State University or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. | en_US |
| dc.subject | constructivism | en_US |
| dc.subject | pollination | en_US |
| dc.subject | food chains | en_US |
| dc.subject | Vygotsky | en_US |
| dc.subject | conceptual understanding | en_US |
| dc.subject | seed dispersal | en_US |
| dc.subject | Driver | en_US |
| dc.subject | cross-age study | en_US |
| dc.subject | interdependency | en_US |
| dc.subject | everyday concepts and scientific concepts | en_US |
| dc.title | A Cross-Age Study of Students'Conceptual Understanding of Interdependency inSeed Dispersal, Pollination, and Food Chains Using a Constructivist Theoretical Framework | en_US |
| dcterms.abstract | Keywords: constructivism, pollination, food chains, Vygotsky, conceptual understanding, seed dispersal, Driver, cross-age study, interdependency, everyday concepts and scientific concepts. | |
| dcterms.extent | xiii, 202 pages : illustrations (some color) |
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