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The Relation of Story Structure to a Model of Conceptual Change in Science Learning

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Abstract

Although various reasons have been proposed to explain the potential effectiveness of science stories to promote learning, no explicit relationship of stories to learning theory in science has been propounded. In this paper, two structurally analogous models are developed and compared: a structural model of stories and a temporal conceptual change model of learning. On the basis of the similarity of the models, as elaborated, it is proposed that the structure of science stories may promote a re-enactment of the learning process, and, thereby, such stories serve to encourage active learning through the generation of hypotheses and explanations. The practical implications of this theoretical analogy can be applied to the classroom in that the utilization of stories provides the opportunity for a type of re-enactment of the learning process that may encourage both engagement with the material and the development of long-term memory structures.

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Acknowledgments

The author thanks Arthur Stinner for insightful discussions that contributed to the writing of this paper. Funding provided by the University of Winnipeg and Canada’s NSERC CRYSTAL centre at the University of Manitoba has supported the researching and writing of this paper. Appreciation is also due to Carly Scramstad for her invaluable assistance with the final revision of the paper.

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  1. University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, R3B 2E9, Canada

    Stephen Klassen

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Klassen, S. The Relation of Story Structure to a Model of Conceptual Change in Science Learning. Sci & Educ 19, 305–317 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-009-9212-8

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