Identifying the Item Hierarchy and Charting the Progression across Grade Levels: Surveying Taiwanese Students’ Understanding of Scientific Models and Modeling

Abstract

The purpose of this study was, first, to understand the item hierarchy regarding students’ understanding of scientific models and modeling (USM). Secondly, this study investigated Taiwanese students’ USM progression from 7th to 12th grade, and after participating in a model-based curriculum. The questionnaire items were developed based on 6 aspects of USM, namely, model type, model content, constructed nature of models, multiple models, change of models, and purpose of models. Moreover, 10 representations of models were included for surveying what a model is. Results show that the purpose of models and model type items covered a wide range of item difficulties. At the one end, items for the purpose of models are most likely to be endorsed by the students, except for the item “models are used to predict.” At the other end, the “model type” items tended to be difficult. The students were least likely to agree that models can be text, mathematical, or dynamic. The items of the constructed nature of models were consistently located above the average, while the change of models items were consistently located around the mean level of difficulty. In terms of the natural progression of USM, the results show significant differences between 7th grade and all grades above 10th, and between 8th grade and 12th grade. The students in the 7th grade intervention group performed better than the students in the 7th and 8th grades who received no special instruction on models.

Appendices

Appendix 1

Description of the model-based curriculum:

One class of seventh grade students (n = 23) had received special instruction on models and modeling. The students in the treatment class participated in a 12-h modeling unit about marine ecology and fishery sustainability. This unit modified the Model-centered Instructional Sequence proposed by Baek, Schwarz, Chen, Hokayem, and Zhan (2011). During this unit, the students were engaged in a series of activities that helped them to build and revise models. The unit included five major stages: (1) brief introduction of the nature of models and modeling; (2) anchoring by the driving question of “Is it possible that 1 day we can no longer catch any cod fish in the ocean?” and developing an initial model; (3) investigation of the phenomenon through simulation; (4) introduction of scientific concepts and model revision; and (5) introduction of more concepts and final model revision. The students built concept maps as conceptual models of the relationships between marine ecology and human activities. In the initial stage, the students read a brief introduction about the nature of scientific models and modeling and participated in whole-class discussion led by the teacher. During the investigation stage, the students participated in the Fishbanks game (Meadows, Sterman, & King, 2017), in which they competed for fish in a multiple-player simulation. As fishermen, the students experienced the challenges of managing sustainable marine resources. In the fourth and fifth stages, through analyzing data, reading learning materials, and engaging in small group discussion, the students explored more concepts, including the marine food web, population dynamics, fishing methods, fishing laws, and international negotiation of sustainable resources. Then the students built their final models.

Appendix 2

Fig. 3

Translated sample representations (originally in Chinese). a A screenshot of item MD6; a 3D dynamic (animated) representation of the breathing mechanism (Wu, Lin & Hsu, 2013). b Item MD2; a visual representation of the food web. c Item MD5; a verbal (text) model of the photosynthesis mechanism. d Item MD4; a concrete scale model of the human body

Appendix 3

Table 3 Item difficulty and fit statistics for all items

Appendix 4

Table 4 Comparison of USM among different grade levels