The purposes of this study were to develop drawing-based science discussion program for elementary school students, and to identify its effects on understanding scientific conception, scientific motive, scientific attitude, communication competence, c...
The purposes of this study were to develop drawing-based science discussion program for elementary school students, and to identify its effects on understanding scientific conception, scientific motive, scientific attitude, communication competence, communication apprehension and discussion competence.
In this study, drawing-based science discussion included 5 phases : 'problem understanding', 'drawing', 'group discussion', 'performance', 'conclusion'. To change students` affective perception about science subject, this study used drawing for them to draw and discuss their idea.
The objects of this study were 91 students in 3 class in 5th grade in G Elementary school located in Seoul, KOREA. One was a Drawing-based discussion class, the other was a Writing-based discussion class and another was a control class. The program was applied to the two experimental classes for 8 weeks, 14 lessons. For this study, quantitative research methods as well as qualitative ones were used. Particularly, to examine student`s pre-conception of the instruction topics, their drawings were analyzed.
The results of this study are as follows:
First, there were significant improvements on students` understanding science conception, scientific attitude to science subject, group discussion and public speaking of communication apprehension and listening of discussion competence, but no significant effects on scientific motive and communication competence appeared. Second, as for the perception of students on the instruction, all of the students in drawing-based discussion class perceived the instruction helpful. The reason was 'I could understand well'(36.6%), 'Discussion makes me what I did not know'(23.3%), so this program seemed to be helpful for student`s cognitive field. And student perceived that advantage of drawing phase was expressing idea, but difficulty of drawing phase, students perceived that 'thinking much to express idea'(46.6%), 'drawing my idea'(30%). Third, student`s drawing informed their pre-conceptions about discussion topics. But it was not clear when we saw their drawing only, but writing about drawing expressed their idea obviously.
The conclusion based on the results as follows:
First, drawing-based science discussion can be helpful on students` understanding of science conception and perceiving science subject optimistic. Second, drawing can be effective to express and deliver students` idea. But students need to think much to convert their ideas. It can make them have a burden, though. So we can predict that some students have difficulty to draw their idea. Third, pictures students draw can be means of expressing their pre-conception and letting teachers know how to teach.
To conclude, in order to reduce difficulties and burdens for drawing and express student`s idea effectively, it is necessary to find how to guide students drawing activities. For the future, development of topics for drawing-based science discussion is necessary.