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EES345 ASSIGNMENT 3

RESEARCH ASSESSMENT

NATASHA VANSTONE

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TUTOR: GAIL CHITTLEBOROUGH

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Part A: Probing each students’ understanding

1. Electricity

Activity Why it was chosen Teaching approach and pedagogical strategies

Reasoning for using the approach and how it relates to students’ needs

Brainstorm: identifying what electricity is, where it comes from, and single words that relate to it.

This activity allows the teacher to see what prior-knowledge the students have about the term electricity.

Part of the ‘Engage’ (Skamp 2015, p. 22) section of the lesson plan. Probing (Deakin University 2015).

Allows students to demonstrate and communicate their ideas and understanding. Identifies alternative conceptions (Tytler, n.d.).

How a torch works: investigating the operation of a torch. Its function and what makes it work – using diagrams to demonstrate understanding.

This was a good introductory activity to circuits. It gets the students thinking about how a torch functions and what things connect to each other to make it work.

Constructivist approach.Also part of the ‘engage’, e5 model (Skamp 2015, p. 22).Probing strategy (Tytler, n.d.)

Builds on their knowledge of a torch.

Predicting which circuits work: using the prediction sheet, predict which of the circuit diagrams will work to light the light bulb.

Prediction, being one of the inquiry skills (Feasey, 2015, p. 86), also allows students to think about how a circuit will work.

Inquiry approach.Explain and Explore (Skamp 2015, p. 22)Probing strategy, Predict – Observe – Explain (Deakin University 2015).

Predicting what will happen gets students thinking process started of how it might work. Observing - looking, opening and turning it on and off. Explaining by drawing a diagram and describe how it works.

Circuit symbols and diagrams: identifying what materials represent scientific symbols for circuit diagrams. Having definition, scientific symbol and picture jumbled so they

Introducing circuit symbols and diagrams is important for students when working with circuits. Allows them to demonstrate and represent their made circuits using a basic scientific form.

Constructivist approach inquiry approach.Explore part of e5 (Skamp 2015, p.22)

Working to connect the scientific symbol, picture and definition of the different symbols used in a diagram. Allows students to construct their understanding of how to draw the circuit.

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construct their own ideas. Why are they important?

Constructing circuits: using circuit packs with wires, batteries, battery packs, light bulbs, steel wool, paper clips, thumb tacks, cork board and plastics, explore creating a circuit of their own, explain and demonstrate how it works and why.

Getting students to investigate and create their own circuits is a part of the AusVELS science domain outcomes for level 6, which is why it is placed in the body of the lesson plan and the main activity.

Constructivist and inquiry approach. Explore, Explain and Elaborate (Skamp 2015, p.22).

Students construct their understanding of how circuits work, using explore – exploring the different elements, explain – how it works, elaborate – draw diagrams.

Role Play: students are given a role to play in a circuit and each student demonstrates how that part of the circuit works.

Part of the section ‘providing explanations for electric circuits with analogical models’ (Hubber 2015, p.178), altered the activity to be indoors, allows students to identify circuit in motion, acting as the different parts of a circuit. Connects their thinking and ideas of how a circuit works.

Inquiry – Evaluate (Skamp 2015, p.22)Probing strategy (Tytler n.d.).

Helps evaluate student knowledge about how electrons, batteries and switches function in an electrical circuit.

Adding to word map: getting students to add anything new they have learnt about the concept of electricity. May also discuss any new ideas they have learnt, or what they have learnt about how

This section is the closing activity. Adding words to the word map allows the students to recognise their gained knowledge of electricity and the different forms, structures and words associated with it.

Constructivist and inquiry.Evaluate section (Skamp 2015, p.22).

Students who are having trouble are able to construct their idea of the concept and elements learnt through the lesson by listening and discussing. Students adding to brainstorm are able to see what they have learnt from the beginning of the lesson.

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things connect to create electricity.

2. Children’s understanding

Emily – Her contribution to the brainstorm demonstrated her diverse range of prior-

knowledge of electricity. Associated electricity with power and light. Had the idea of

where electricity is found, e.g. in the home – kettle and toaster, classrooms, and

what makes it work, e.g. light switch. She observed the torch and circuits, predicted

which circuits will work, testing these, experimenting and modelling circuits, all

resulting her gaining extra knowledge of electricity. By the end she was able to

contribute to the brainstorm, e.g. insulators, conductors, circuit, electrons and

atoms, and how they flow through the circuit and are pushed by the battery to make

the light glow, also built on her knowledge learning about open and closed circuits.

Helen – her contributed to the initial brainstorm related to natural sources of energy

and electricity, e.g. wind, solar, sun, water, turbines, etc. Showed that she had a

deeper understanding of where electricity comes from and how it is produced,

compared to just saying power or lights. By the end of the lesson she had gained

extra knowledge of electricity, the same understanding as Emily.

Billie – didn’t demonstrate much of a knowledge at all about electricity. Came up

with words such as battery, light bulb and power. At the end of the lesson Billie still

struggled to communicate what he had learnt about electricity. He was able to come

up with circuits, but failed to extend on his knowledge.

3. Analysis

Feasey (2015, p.161) identifies ‘electricity’ as a field of science rather than a term such

as current, power or energy. Tytler (n.d.) identifies the following as alternative conceptions

in children around the concept of electricity:

The term ‘electricity’, ‘current’, ‘power’ and ‘energy’ mean the same thing.

Energy is used up by a working globe.

Batteries store a certain amount of electricity or charge.

The battery stores electricity which flows to the globe.

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Most of the students in the group such as Emily and Billie, related electricity to mean power

and energy. Helen on the other hand used words such as wind, sun, water, solar, and

turbines which are all natural sources and producers of electricity. These are considered

alternative conception, alternative conceptions are alternative ideas that can be influenced

by everyday experiences, direct observation and perception, resources and teachers’

explanations (Skamp 2015, p.8). Helen’s was the only one to relate electricity to the above

natural concepts. Her ideas may have stemmed from the fact she has solar panels at home

and knows they hold the energy to make the lights and household items work, or she has

been taught about those things at school. She was able to connect the concepts such as

wind and turbines she said “maybe the wind makes the turbines spin and that makes the

electricity go through the ground to people’s houses”.

An area that students struggled with was grasping the concept or idea that electricity

isn’t what is moving in the circuit. It is the electrons that carry the energy from the battery

creating heat and light energy (Hubber 2015, p.163). Even after using the role play to

construct a human representation of a circuit, they were confused about how it works. We

revisited the idea that electrons are tiny particles that are charged by the battery and

become motion energy that freely move through a closed circuit. When they collide with

atoms in the globe creating heat and light energy (Hubber 2015, p.165). They did

understand how to form a circuit that is open or closed using a switch, as represented in

appendix B.

4. Categorising Questions (Deakin University 2003)

Question Productive1

Unproductive 1

Open 2

Closed 2

Person-centred 3

Subject-centred 3

Promote thinking 4

Develop processing skills 5

What does electricity mean to you?

x X x

What words can you think of that represent or describe

x x x

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electricity?How or why do you think the torch works?

X x x x X

What is a word that describes all these things connecting together in a circle?

x x x

Why do you think symbols and circuit diagrams are important/used?

x x x x x

How could you change your circuit to make it work?

x x X X X

Are you able to show me how your switch works in your circuit?

x x x x

5. Question Categories Effectiveness

The above questions covered a range of the categories listed. The questions “How or

why do you think the torch works?” covered every category. The students were able to

represent the torch using diagrams that they drew and labelled. They then explained how

they thought each of the elements connected to make electricity. One student created a

great diagram and gave an excellent description, “the batteries touch each other, the

negative touches the positive end, and the other negative end of the bottom battery

touches the spring at the bottom of the torch, there is a wire that touches the spring that

touches the bottom of the light bulb, and the other positive end of the batter touches where

the light bulb is and the switch turns it on and off”. Another effective question was “How

could you change your circuit to make it work?” this again covered all categories. Billie was

the one student who had more difficulty with getting his circuits to work, I ended up

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working one-on-one with him so that he could gain a better understanding of how to create

a working circuit. He often got lost as to what and how many wires needed to touch the

battery and the bulb. After pointing to a wire that wasn’t connected I asked him if there was

anything that needed to be done with that wire.

From the table above I used a lot of open ended, person-centred questions that

promote thinking. I try to use as many open ended questions as I can so that students are

doing more of the thinking and exploring of concepts and ideas. These questions seemed to

be more informative of what the students are thinking and how their knowledge is

expanding and building. Areas that could be improved are making questions that develop

processing skills and are more productive. Improving these questions such as the first two

questions, are hard to do as they are more probing questions and getting students prior

knowledge. Although I could ask more questions such as “How do all of these

representations of electricity relate or connect together?” which covers almost every

category of questioning and helps to develop processing skills.

Part B: Conceptual Framework

Predicting which circuits work using a prediction sheet (see appendix A) that is

derived from and identified in Tytler (n.d.), is an activity that also contributes to Predict-

Observe-Explain (POE) which is a probing strategy according to Deakin University’s ‘Probes

of Understanding’ (2015) document. It is also an activity that incorporates inquiry skills.

Inquiry skills that are associated with this probing activity include observing, predicting,

communicating, and inferring (Feasey 2015, p.86). The Australian Curriculum: Science

identifies five sub strands including questioning and predicting, planning and conducting,

processing and analysing data and information, evaluating, and communicating (ACARA).

As the predicting sheet, and completing it, doesn’t contribute to any learning or

“move students forward in their understanding” (Deakin University 2015) it is considered a

probing strategy activity. It’s the follow-up of actually creating the circuits that builds on

students’ knowledge and understanding of which end of the battery needs to be touching

the light bulb, and where the wires need to be touching to make the light glow. This activity

starts with the inquiry skills of predicting – suggesting whether the circuit does or does not

work, and leads onto observing and communicating their ideas of why the circuit worked.

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Helen and Emily worked together to work through the predicting sheet and giving reasons

for why they thought the circuit would or would not work. They then worked together to

test their predictions to see if the light glowed, they seemed surprised when they were able

to get the circuit to work. They then wrote down reasons as to why the circuit worked or

why the circuit didn’t work.

Another probing activity was the very first activity, the brainstorm. This activity also

incorporates inquiry learning as an engaging activity. Brainstorm activities are considered a

probing strategy activity as they don’t necessarily build on student learning, unless there is

discussion and students change their views because of this (Deakin University 2015). Tytler

(n.d.) identifies a number activities as probing such as ‘make a list’ and a ‘concept map’

which a brainstorm is very similar to as it is gathering words that associate with the term

electricity (Hubber 2015, p.174). The ‘Probes of Understanding’ document (Deakin

University 2015) states that establishing students’ prior understandings is an important

aspect of student learning. A brainstorm is an introductory activity for a lesson that gives the

teacher an understanding of the everyday words that students associate with the concept of

‘electricity’ (Hubber 2015, p.174). It is considered and activity that “challenges and

encourages students to express their ideas” (Deakin University 2015).

As noted above in part A, question 2, students didn’t have a deep, extended

knowledge of the concept of electricity before starting the lesson. Words such as power,

battery, and light bulb were common. However, Helen contributed words outside of the

everyday words associated with electricity such as wind, solar, turbines, and sun, which are

all natural forms of the production of energy. These words were able to let my partner and I

recognise the sort of knowledge and ideas the students in our group held about electricity.

References:

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Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority n.d., ‘Australian Curriculum:

Science’, ACARA, retrieved 6 June 2015,

http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/science/curriculum/f-10?layout=1#level6

AusVELS, Domains: Science – Level 6, Achievement Standard, AusVELS, Victorian Curriculum

and Assessment Authority, retrieved 15th April 2015,

http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Science/Curriculum/F-10#level=6

Deakin University 2003, Categorizing Questions, Deakin University for The Department of

Education and Training, retrieved 20 April 2015,

https://d2l.deakin.edu.au/content/enforced/340959-EES345_TRI-1_2015/

categorisingofquestions.pdf?_&d2lSessionVal=fwn8wqGRDjTtBuNAgv9kyX4mY&ou=340959

Deakin University 2015, Probes of Understanding, Research Assessment, Deakin University,

retrieved 20 April 2015,

https://d2l.deakin.edu.au/d2l/le/content/340959/viewContent/2551284/View

Feasey, R 2015, ‘Thinking and Working scientifically’, in Skamp & Preston, K Skamp & C

Preston (eds), Teaching Primary Science Constructively, 5th Ed, Cengage Learning Australia,

South Melbourne, Victoria, pp.79-117

Hubber, P 2015, ‘Electricity’, in Skamp & Preston, K Skamp & C Preston (eds), Teaching

Primary Science Constructively, 5th Ed, Cengage Learning Australia, South Melbourne,

Victoria, pp.159-186

Skamp, K 2015, ‘Teaching primary science constructively’, in K Skamp & C Preston (eds),

Teaching Primary Science Constructively, 5th Ed, Cengage Learning Australia, South

Melbourne, pp. 1-40

Tytler, R n.d, ‘Electricity’, Deakin University: School of education – Science and

Environmental Education, Ideas of Teaching Science: P-8, retrieved 8 May 2015,

http://www.deakin.edu.au/arts-ed/education/sci-enviro-ed/years5-10/pdfs/electricity.pdf

Appendix A

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Appendix B

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