New Perspectives in Science Education

Nanoscale Science and Technology (NST) concerns the understanding and the manipulation of matter at the nanosclale (1 to 100 nm), where unique materials’ properties enable novel applications. Since a lot of NST products are available e.g. the water nano-filters, it is argued that students need to develop their nanoliteracy to come up with everyday issues arise from NST applications (Winkelmann & Bhushan 2017). However, the research related with students’ preconceptions about NST topics in primary school is limited. This paper aims to answer two research questions (RQs): What are the students’ preconceptions about (1) the term nanotechnology, and (2) the mechanism of the water nano-filters? The participants were 250 (for the RQ1) and 132 (for the RQ2) 5th and 6th-grade primary school students in Greece. A written questionnaire with open-ended questions was used for the data collection. A deductive as well as inductive qualitative content analysis approach revealed theory-driven and data-driven categories respectively. In particular, the categories that revealed for the RQ1 formulated on the Big Ideas of NST (Stevens et al. 2009) as well as on the data and the categories for the RQ2 formulated on the the relational and linear reasoning models in combination with the accuracy of the specific information that students mentioned (Perkins & Gozer 2005; Chi et al. 2012).The study showed that most of the students conceptualize NST in the context of the size, in a vague manner e.g. “a technology of the small things”. Moreover, a significant number of participants provided anthropomorphic terms (nano in Greek means dwarf) while a small number of students referred to NST applications as well as to the observation tools. As regards the water nano-filters, the majority of students provided linear explanations mentioning vague information about the filtering mechanism e.g. “the filter is consisted of small pores”. Explanations based on the observable pattern, (the use of the filter), were also evident. The findings of this research could contribute in designing educational interventions about the NST content under the lens of the constructivist approach.

Keywords: primary school students, preconceptions, nanotechnology, water nano-filters.

References:

• Chi, M. T., Roscoe, R. D., Slotta, J. D., Roy, M., & Chase C. C. (2012). Misconceived causal explanations for emergent processes. Cognitive science, 36, 1-61. doi: 10.1111/j.1551-6709.2011.01207.x.
• Perkins, D. N., & Grotzer, T. A. (2005). Dimensions of causal understanding: The role of complex causal models in students’ understanding of science. Studies in Science Education, 41, 117– 165.
• Stevens, S., Sutherland, L. & Joseph S. Krajcik (2009). Big ideas of nanoscale science and engineering: A guidebook for secondary teachers. Arlington, VA: NSTA Press.
• Winkelmann, K. & B. Bhushan (2017). Global Perspectives of Nanotechnology Education. In B. Bhushan (Ed.) Springer Handbook of Nanotechnology (1603-1624). Berlin: Springer.