Investigation of children's mental models using the Network Analysis method: An application to the meaning of Earth

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Published: Apr 6, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/codiste.7647
Keywords:
closed-ended questionnaire conceptual change Earth mental models Network Analysis
Eleni Kanellia
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9542-4699
Dimitrios Stamovlasis
Abstract

This paper utilizes a method of investigating students' mental representations based on Network Analysis. It examines the nature of children's knowledge and specifically studies the coherence of their mental models of the Earth. Data were collected with the EARTH-2 closed-ended questionnaire from 180 primary school students. The interpretation of mental representations/networks based on both topology and quantitative measures of network centrality revealed the coherence of specific mental models. The results are encouraging in terms of the potential of the method, which is proposed as an effective approach to exploring children's alternative ideas and conceptual change.


 

Article Details
  • Section
  • 14th Panhellenic Conference of Didactics in Science Education
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