Effects of Motivation on Metaconceptual Knowledge in Middle Childhood
Abstract
In science education conceptual change is proven to be a valuable strategy for enriching and restructuring learners’ conceptions. Although children in middle childhood experience conceptual change, educators neglect to offer conceptual change instructional strategies for this age group. This may be due to Flavell’s work on the appearance-reality distinction which found children between 8- and 10-years-old are limited in their ability to recognize disconfirming evidence. Conceptual change learning theory depends on learners’ control over conceptual operations to explain enduring conceptional change. Flavell’s studies and conceptual change learning theory, however, ignore student motivation. Understanding the structure of metaconceptual awareness in middle childhood and its relationship with student motivation explains a significant amount of variability in metaconceptual knowledge in middle childhood. These findings suggest that middle childhood children can benefit from conceptual change instructional strategies when internally motivated.
Keywords
academic self-concept, academic locus of control, metaconceptual knowledge, conceptual change learning, sociocultural theory, appearance-reality distinction
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Middleton, Teresa, "Effects of Motivation on Metaconceptual Knowledge in Middle Childhood" (2018). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 8.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2018/2018/8
Effects of Motivation on Metaconceptual Knowledge in Middle Childhood
In science education conceptual change is proven to be a valuable strategy for enriching and restructuring learners’ conceptions. Although children in middle childhood experience conceptual change, educators neglect to offer conceptual change instructional strategies for this age group. This may be due to Flavell’s work on the appearance-reality distinction which found children between 8- and 10-years-old are limited in their ability to recognize disconfirming evidence. Conceptual change learning theory depends on learners’ control over conceptual operations to explain enduring conceptional change. Flavell’s studies and conceptual change learning theory, however, ignore student motivation. Understanding the structure of metaconceptual awareness in middle childhood and its relationship with student motivation explains a significant amount of variability in metaconceptual knowledge in middle childhood. These findings suggest that middle childhood children can benefit from conceptual change instructional strategies when internally motivated.
