Students' Involvement in Authentic Modelling Practicesas Contexts in Chemistry Education

摘要

In science education students should come to understand the nature and significanceof models. A promising strategy to achieve this goal is using authentic modelling practices ascontexts for meaningful learning of models and modelling. An authentic practice is defined asprofessionals working with common motives and purposes, pertaining to a similar type ofprocedure and applying relevant knowledge on the modelling issue they work on. In this studywe evaluate whether the use of authentic practices initiates adequate students' involvement.This was done by investigating students' interests, ownership, familiarity and complexity. Inaddition, we evaluated students' expressed modelling procedures in response to the modellingissues. We designed learning tasks which were enacted by a focus group of students. Threeprimary data sources were used to collect data. Firstly, a group discussion was organised inwhich students' reflected on both authentic practices. Secondly, students filled in writtenquestionnaires containing items on affective and cognitive aspects. Thirdly, the realisedmodelling procedures by students were analysed. The results show that students' involvementwas successfully initiated, evidenced by motivated students, willingness to continue and thecompleteness and quality of the realised modelling procedures. The design of the learning tasksproved to be successful in realising this involvement. The results obtained in this study supportthe strategy of using authentic modelling practices as contexts for meaningful learning ofmodels and modelling.