Exploring the cosmos: The challenge of identifying patterns and conceptual progressions from student survey responses in Cosmology
Abstract
Recent research has revealed that countries are slowly beginning to embed topics related to cosmology into school curricula. Teachers need support to identify the conceptual challenges faced by students when learning about this complex topic, in order to design and implement effective lessons. This chapter describes research that investigates students’ conceptions of cosmology, and highlights the methodological challenges associated with analysing a pilot data set to establish a justifiable conceptual progression, in a field that involves complex forms of knowledge and competence. The methodological approach aims to find some sort of interface which incorporates both positivist and interpretivist views, drawing on analytic induction and abductive reasoning. For topics such as cosmology, when analysing open-survey student responses, the construction of a valid conceptual progression while acknowledging multidimensionality of thinking in cosmology concepts presents a significant challenge. The aim is to present an exploratory framework, that can be used to analyse the various dimensions of student responses in the context of the complexities of contemporary cosmology ideas. The results from this study will be used to develop a Cosmology Learning Progression and Concept Inventory both of which are part of a larger study which aims to explore cosmology teaching in secondary schools.
Date
01/01/2020
Citation
Salimpour, S., Tytler, R., & Fitzgerald, M. T. (2020). Exploring the cosmos: The challenge of identifying patterns and conceptual progressions from student survey responses in Cosmology. In R. Tytler, P. White, J. Ferguson, & J. C. Clark (Eds.), Methodological Approaches to STEM Education Research (Vol. 1, pp. 203–228). Cambridge University Press.
