Patterns of Conceptual Change Process in Elementary School Students’ Learning of Science

Abstract

Conceptual change requires that an individual confronts and evaluates competing concepts based on their intelligibility, plausibility and fruitfulness. The purpose of this study was to gain thorough information of conceptual change process that occurred on the elementary school students in learning science, with the focus question: How does conceptual change take place in them? Subjects of study were second, third, and fourth grade students at one of the outstanding private Elementary schools at Serang district, Banten-Indonesia. The data were collected from observations and interviews of the participants. Analysis of data resulted in the patterns of conceptual change process in learning of science occurred on these student participants. Result from the qualitative analysis data revealed four patterns of conceptual change process in student’s learning of science, i.e. addition, rearrangement, replacement, and extinction. Furthermore, conceptual change process of the elementary school students in learning science may involve any of these patterns and other mechanisms. Among those patterns, rearrangement seems to be the most inclusive, while extinction is the most limited to the science learning of elementary school students. The implication of these findings is that elementary school teachers need to be aware of the importance of students’ basic knowledge and to develop teaching strategies that promote effective conceptual changing process in students learning of science.