Linguistic Resources Used in Grade 8 Students' Submicro Level Explanations : Science Items from TIMSS 2007

Explanations involving submicro levels of representation are central to science education, but known to be difficult for students in secondary school. This study examines students' written explanations of physical and chemical phenomena regarding matter and changes in matter, in a large-scale t...

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Veröffentlicht in:Research in science education (Australasian Science Education Research Association) Jg. 43; H. 6; S. 2387 - 2406
Hauptverfasser: Frändberg, Birgitta, Lincoln, Per, Wallin, Anita
Format: Journal Article
Sprache:Englisch
Veröffentlicht: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.12.2013
Springer
Schlagworte:
Academic Discourse
Chemistry
Didactics
Didaktik
Education
Explanations
Foreign Countries
Grammar
High School Students
Language Skills
Lexicogrammatics
Linguistics
Physics
Representational levels
Science Education
Science literacy
Scientific language
Scientific Literacy
Secondary education
Secondary school science
Secondary school students
Sweden
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study
Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2007
Verbs
Vocabulary
Writing (Composition)
Written explanations
Year 8
Sweden
Science literacy
Representational levels
Lexicogrammatics
Written explanations
Scientific language
ISSN:0157-244X, 1573-1898, 1573-1898
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Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:Explanations involving submicro levels of representation are central to science education, but known to be difficult for students in secondary school. This study examines students' written explanations of physical and chemical phenomena regarding matter and changes in matter, in a large-scale test. This is done in order to understand linguistic challenges in constructing submicro level explanations involving the particle model of matter. Drawing from systemic functional linguistics, the lexicogrammatics used in explanations for realising experiential meaning in student explanations were analysed. Answers to two partly constructed response items from the Swedish part of Trends in International Mathematics and Science Studies 2007, Grade 8, were used to sort out explanations referring to the particle model of matter. These answers (86 from 954) were analysed regarding choices of vocabulary and grammar to distinguish between macro and submicro level of representation. The results show that students use a wide variety of lexicogrammatical resources to realise what happens on both macro and submicro level of representation, with greater diversity of verbs on the submicro level of explanation. The results suggest an uncertainty about the distinction between macro and submicro level of explanation. [Author abstract, ed]
Bibliographie:Refereed article. Includes bibliographical references.
Research in Science Education; v.43 n.6 p.2387-2406; December 2013
ISSN:0157-244X
1573-1898
1573-1898
DOI:10.1007/s11165-013-9363-0