Students’ conceptions of and approaches to knowledge building and its relationship to learning outcomes

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships among students’ conceptions of knowledge building, approaches to knowledge building, knowledge-building behaviors and learning outcomes. A total of 48 primary school students (from grades 3 and 4) who had experienced knowledge-building activities participated in the present study. After analyzing the students’ interview responses using the phenomenographic method, qualitatively different and hierarchically related conceptions and approaches were revealed. The results indicated that the students with fragmented conceptions tended to use surface approaches to knowledge building while those with cohesive conceptions tended to adopt deep approaches. The findings also indicate that the students with cohesive conceptions or deep approaches were more likely to have better learning outcomes than those with fragmented conceptions or surface approaches.

KEYWORDS:

• Knowledge building
• Knowledge Forum
• conception of learning
• approaches to learning

Notes on contributors

Pei-Shan Tsai is currently an assistant professor at the Department of Science Communication, National Pingtung University, Taiwan. Her current research interests include the design of Internet-based learning environments, students’ perceptions and learning behaviors in Internet-based learning environments.

Ching Sing Chai is currently an associate professor at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. His research interest is in the field of teachers’ beliefs and computer-supported collaborative learning.

Huang-Yao Hong is currently a professor at the Department of Education, National Chengchi University, Taiwan. His research interests are in knowledge building pedagogy and technology.

Joyce Hwee Ling Koh is currently an associate professor at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Her research interests are in teacher learning and technological pedagogical content knowledge.

ORCID

Huang-Yao Hong http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7400-7094

Additional information

Funding

This study was mainly funded by the Ministry of Education research grant NRF2011-EDU002-EL005. Partly supports from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, under grant number MOST 104-2511-S-153-006-MY2, are also acknowledged.