Using a conceptual change text as a tool to teach the nature of science in an explicit reflective approach

The points determined in the literature were taken into consideration in this study in order to make the nature of science conceptual change texts more effective. For example, it is required that the students are aware of their own ideas, and they must notice the differences between the structure of thought they have and the explanations accepted scientifically in conceptual change. The first three sections of the conceptual change texts were designed according to this purpose. Emphasizing the right and wrong ideas in separate tables with happy and sad facial expressions attracted the attention of the students. After a few conceptual change texts were practised, it was observed that the students were looking forward to seeing their right and wrong ideas after they had completed writing them. In other words, the students felt the need to control the accuracy of their ideas. What attracted attention at this stage was that after the students had written their own ideas, they abstained from sharing their ideas with the whole class. The students were anxious that what they had written would be wrong and their peers would criticise them. Moreover, after they had answered the first part of the conceptual change text, while sharing the ideas in the class, it was observed that some of the students who were listening to their peers were very much influenced by the student sharing his ideas whose academic achievement was high, and they tried to change their ideas to fit the explanations their peer. In this context, during the practise of the conceptual change texts, it can be said that the students required encouragement while on the verge of expressing themselves.

According to Hynd (2001), making students believe in the newly presented situation in conceptual change texts was achieved in three ways. The first one is one-way form. The message is presented in this form, but discussions of opposite views are not made. The second form is two-way, non-refutable form. In this form, two ways of examining the subject are presented, and the writer prefers one of them. However, it is not emphasized why the wrong idea is wrong. The third form is discussion of refutation. Both right and wrong ideas take place in the conceptual change texts prepared for this study, and the justifications of right and wrong ideas are given and the why the right idea was preferred is also discussed. This study provided evidence on how to maket he third form more effective in conceptual change. For example, in the conceptual change text “Despite the Observations Done by Telescope,”some of the students said that technology had developed a lot in today’s world and because of this, countries having the similar technology would reach the similar scientific results. Although the tables including right/wrong ideas and their justifications were effective in changing these unwanted ideas, the most important effect was observed in the “Let’s Get to a Conclusion” section. In this context, the refutations in the conceptual change texts should be enriched by questions that the students can discover why their ideas are right by themselves, and this can increase the effectiveness of conceptual change texts. It is stated in the literature that conceptual change texts in such forms are accepted more by the students (Guzzetti, 2000; Hynd, 2001). Guzzetti (2000) emphasizes that for the texts to provide conceptual change, it is not enough to read the text, but after the texts are read discussions must be made in regard to the scientific explanations given in the text. Attention is drawn to the examples of conceptual change texts that prove the correct view. Discussion questions are not to be made from these examples. Conclusion questions were prepared at the end of conceptual change texts in order to provide the determined conditions. The students were asked to give examples of similar conditions that they had dealt with.

Guzzetti et al. (1995) stated that the effects of conceptual change texts are limited for the students who have difficulty in reading and writing. Consequently, visual materials were used in every section of conceptual change texts that were prepared. Thus, attention of the students and their attempts them to read the texts was emphasized. It was also emphasized that conceptual change texts have the possibility to easily change into teacher-centred applications, and in order to overcome this, it is suggested that the students do research on their own, make experiments and obtain results by preparing texts (Hynd, 2001). In the fourth section of conceptual change texts used in this study, the practises to try to activate the students learning were designed. Moreover, with the section of “Let’s Get to a Conclusion,” the students were given opportunities to discover the correct ideas. In this context, making students more active, both mentally and physically in conceptual change texts, can contribute to obtaining more positive results. Of course, it was not expected that all the students would change their views after using one or two conceptual change texts. Therefore, conceptual change texts that deal with the nature of science and are compatible with the objectives of various subjects can be prepared for different units. Science subject knowledge and conceptual mistakes of the nature of science should be taken together in conceptual change texts. In this way while subject knowledge is taught, it is provided that the students have adopted enough views about the nature of science.

Conceptual change texts that only deal with aspects of the nature of science were introduced in this study. The effects of these texts were not analysed systematically and comparisons with the other teaching approaches were not made. The effects of conceptual change texts in teaching the nature of science can be analysed with future experimental studies.