New Perspectives in Science Education

When students are asked to make comparisons about science concepts, creative comparisons give them the opportunity to freely express themselves and be more productive in learning science. At the same time, while explaining scientific concepts, students may also make use of anthropomorphism and animism. Anthropomorphism involves attributing human emotions and desires to inanimate objects; animism is the belief in the existence of a force that makes inanimate objects come alive [1], [2].           

            This study determined the creative comparisons pre-service science teachers made relevant to the topic of electrochemistry and sought to uncover how they used anthropomorphism and animism in formulating these creative comparisons. In this context, the study searched for answers to the following questions:

1) Which creative comparisons did the pre-service teachers to explain the electrochemistry concepts use?

2) Which common characteristics did these creative comparisons have?

3) How did the pre-service teachers use anthropomorphism and animism in their creative comparisons?

4) Did the pre-service teachers have alternative concepts in their minds about the concepts taught to them? If so, what were these alternative concepts?

      This study, which employs the method of phenomenographic research, was conducted with 220 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th year pre-service teachers enrolled in the Department of Science Teaching at a State University in Turkey in the 2015-2016 academic year. A creative comparison form was used in the study as a data collection instrument. The creative comparison form referred to the concepts of "reduction, oxidation, reducing agent, oxidizing agent, anode, cathode, electrolysis, electrode, salt bridge, corrosion" and required the students to complete the sentences presented to them by filling in the blanks (e.g., reduction is like .... because ....). Data analyzed by Content Analysis Method. The statements and words that reflected the use of anthropomorphism and animism in these creative comparisons were individually recorded and encoded as data. The results of the analysis showed that the students were confused with the concepts of "reducing agent," "oxidizing agent" and "corrosion" and had alternative concepts for these notions. At the same time, it was discovered that the pre-service teachers considered the concepts of "anode" and "cathode" only in the context of the galvanic battery and disregarded the electrolytic cell. It was seen that the pre-service teachers used anthropomorphic references in the statements they used in their creative comparisons.

References:

[1] Kallery, M., & Psillos, D. (2004). Anthropomorphism and animism in early years science: Why teachers use them, how they conceptualise them and what are their views on their use. Res.Sci.Edu., 34(3), 291-311.

[2] Treagust, D., Chittleborough, G. & Mamiala, T. (2003). The role of submicroscopic and symbolic representations in chemical explanations.I.J.Sci.Edu., 25(11), 1353-1368.