Research in Science Education

, 29:295 | Cite as

Progression in primary school children's conceptions of burning: Toward an understanding of the concept of substance

Article

Abstract

Children's conceptions of burning were explored through observation and discussion or a number of challenging phenomena. Analysis of written responses showed that children's conceptions are both specific and contextually based, and that there is little coherence in the use of any one conception across phenomena. Progression across the primary school years can be described, however, in terms of children's growing confidence with the idea of transformation of substances and the analysis relates this to a model based on changing commitments to the notion of substance defined by properties, rather than history. The conceptual trajectories described in the study are broadly consistent with previous studies of secondary school children.

Keywords

Primary School Conceptual Change Primary School Child Write Response Combustible Material 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Australian Science Research Association 1999

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.IKIP MalangIndonesia
  2. 2.Faculty of EducationDeakin UniversityBurwoodAustralia

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