An Analysis of Conceptual Flow Patterns and Structures in the Physics Classroom

Abstract

The aim of the current research is to characterize the conceptual flow processes occurring in whole‐class dialogic discussions with a high level of interanimation; in the present case, of a high‐school class learning about image creation on plane mirrors. Using detailed chains of interaction and conceptual flow discourse maps—both developed for the purpose of this research—the classroom discourse, audio‐taped and transcribed verbatim, was analyzed and three discussion structures were revealed: accumulation around budding foci concepts, zigzag between foci concepts, and concept tower. These structures as well as two additional factors, suggest the Two‐Space Model of the whole class discussion proposed in the present article. The two additional factors are: (1) the teacher intervention; and (2) the conceptual barriers observed among the students, namely, materialistic thinking, and the tendency to attribute “unique characteristics” to optical devices. This model might help teachers to prepare and conduct efficient whole‐class discussions which accord with the social constructivist perspective of learning.

Keywords:

• Conceptual change
• Classroom
• High school
• Physics education
• Conceptual flow patterns
• Optical images

Acknowledgments

I would like to extend my gratitude to Miriam Reiner for her insightful remarks, to Michael N. Fried for his valuable comments, and to Yair Ziderman for not only editing the paper but also for bringing interesting issues to the many conversations we held on the topic.

Notes

1. There is an important difference between (1) material substances, and (2) processes which involve material substances. Materialistic thinking may lead the student to think about electricity as an actual substance, i.e., a kind of “juice,” “electricity,” or electrons, which flows from one end of the wire to the other. The scientific explanation, while not denying the existence of electrons, suggests that the electric current is a process involving the entire circuit, including some material elements such as electrons (for a more detailed exposition, see Slotta, Chi, & Joram, 1995).

2. It is important to point out that in no way is it proposed that these three CFDM types cover all possible whole‐class discussion conceptual flow patterns. There are a number of factors which may influence such patterns: the students (the group of students in this study were there of their own choice); the manner in which the class was taught (the class was taught in a particular, non‐typical manner: the teacher took care to teach and maintain dialogic discussions and always be on the lookout for alternate student views); finally, other, probably influential, factors (such as the idiosyncratic style of the teacher, the topic being studied, and the size and socio‐economic class attributes) may be significant.