Preliminary findings regarding students’ predictions in novel situations: the role of self-generated analogies in non-scientific reasoning

<p>This small scale pilot study was the first stage of a larger cross age studydesigned to investigate students’ predictions in novel situations and the role that self-generatedanalogies play in non-scientific reasoning. The study used a mixed methodapproach composed of a combination of interviews and questionnaires. Thirteen, sixteenand twelve students were recruited from Year 4, Year 9 and Year 11 (aged 9-10, 15-16 and16-17 years) respectively from three different schools in Greece.Nine student focus group interviews were conducted in combination with theadministration of a six pictorial item questionnaire. All interviews were audio-taperecorded and additional data were also collected through the use of written responses to thequestionnaire. Students’ responses were analysed to ascertain whether their predictionsdrew on the use of analogies and, if so, the nature of the analogy that was used. It emergedthat there were many similarities among students’ predictions as well as the analogies theyused to explain the latter. Also, preliminary findings suggest that in many cases whenstudents demonstrated non-scientific reasoning they drew on analogies which made themmake a prediction which is not compatible with the scientific view. It also emerged that theanalogies used by students in Years 4 and 9, when presented with the same novel situationsin which they were required to make a prediction, were, in many cases, similar irrespectiveof their year group. Whilst students in Year 11 did make use of those similar analogies thefrequency with which they drew on analogies, to make predictions, appeared much less thatfor the two younger student groups.This study found that students regularly make use of analogies, rather than scientificthinking, and that teachers need to be more aware of the nature of the analogies used andhow, and why, these analogies can, in many cases, lead students to make scientificallyincorrect predictions.</p>