Conceptual development and retention within the learning cycle.

Abstract

Qualitative analyses were used to examine how students' concept development is mediated by classroom discussions and the students' small cooperative learning group. It was discovered that there was a correlation between teacher-student interaction and small-group interaction and concept mediation. Therefore, students who had a high level of teacher-student dialogue which utilized teacher led discussions with integrated scaffolding techniques where the same students who mediated the ideas within the small group discussions. Those students whose teacher-student interactions consisted of dialogue with little positive teacher feedback made no contributions within the small group regardless of their level of concept development.

Quantitative analysis techniques were used to examine concept development and retention, it was discovered that the students' concept knowledge increased significantly from the time of the conclusion of the term introduction phase to the conclusion of the expansion phase. These findings would indicate that all three phases of the learning cycle are necessary for conceptual development. However, quantitative analyses of concept maps indicated that this is not true for all students. Individual students showed evidence of concept development and integration at each phase. Therefore, concept development is individualized and all phases of the learning cycle are not necessary for all students. As a result, individual's assimilation, disequilibration, accommodation and organization may not correlate with the phases of the learning cycle. Quantitative analysis also indicated a significant decrease in the retention of concepts over time.

This research was designed to achieve two goals: (1) examine concept development and retention within the learning cycle and (2) examine how students' concept development is mediated by classroom discussions and the students' small cooperative learning group. Forty-eight sixth-grade students and one teacher at an urban middle school participated in the study. The research utilized both quantitative and qualitative analyses. Quantitative assessments included a concept mapping technique as well as teacher generated multiple choice tests. Preliminary quantitative analysis found that students' reading levels had an effect on students' pretest scores in both the concept mapping and the multiple-choice assessment. Therefore, a covariant design was implemented for the quantitative analyses.