A Research on the Acquistion and Change of Scientific Concepts from Kindergarten to Adulthood

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This research primarily dealt with the domains of cognitive psychology, philosophy of science and science education to determine the features of longitudinal and academic application of the findings.During the first year of the research, a survey using pendulum as material was made. It lasted for a few months. The subjects' age ranged from 5 years old to 88 years old. It was found out that the subjects ranging from 30 to 40 years of age were able to solve the problems on pendulum correctly as a result of the inclusion of these aspects in the science curriculum at the time they were still enrolled at the elementary school. The influence of metascience concepts could also be considered helpful in improving the acquisition of various scientific concepts.On the following year, a survey using a simple electric circuit was undertaken with subjects from the lower secondary schools in Toyama and Saga prefectures. The purpose was to determine the contextual influence of environment. A survey on the environment of the learners was undertaken to determine the influence of science programs and school environment on electric circuit conceptual acquisition. This research on congnition in science learning shows the importance of knowing the factors that influence effective educational strategies.Furthermore, during the implementation of the two phases of the research, it was possible for the researchers to promote the involvement of teachers in the field. It was also possible to involve experts on this area from various countries which include the United States of America and the United Kingdom and therefore made possible international exchange of ideas and experiences.