Focusing on the Nature of Causality in a Unit on Pressure: How Does It Affect Student Understanding?.

Although pressure forms the basis for understanding topics such as the internal structure of the earth, weather cycles, rock formation, Bernoulli’s principle, and plate tectonics, the presence of this concept in the school curriculum is at a minimal level. This paper suggests that the ideas, misconceptions, and perceptions of students have to do with an understanding of the nature of causality. Previous studies have shown that in many examples students have difficulty identifying air pressure as the cause of the results of experiments and demonstrations such as an egg being pushed into a bottle. The results of the study support focusing on causal structure in teaching science concepts. Appended are typical responses of students who moved from simpler models to relational causal models on the open-ended inventory. (Contains 43 references and 10 tables.) (YDS) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) 1 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement E UCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This document has been reproduced as ived from the person or organization originating it. 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official OERI position or policy. Focusing on the Nature of Causality in a Unit on Pressure: How does it Affect Student Understanding? Belinda B. Basca and Tina A. Grotzer Harvard University Presented at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Seattle, April 10-14, 2001 The Understandings of Consequence Project Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education 124 Mount Auburn Street, 5th Floor Cambridge, MA 02138 This paper is based on the results of research carried out during the second year of the Understandings of Consequence Project. We are continuing to research and develop the ideas presented here. If you have feedback for us or would like to keep in touch with developments on the project, please check our website at or send us an email at Belinda @ PZ.Harvard.Edu or Tina Grotzer @PZ.Harvard.Edu. This paper is based upon the work of UnderstandMgs of Consequence Project, which is supported by the National Science Foundation, Grant No. REC-9725502 to Tina Grotzer and David Perkins, Co-Principal Investigators. Any opinions, fmdings, conclusions or recommendations expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.