• Journal of Korean Elementary Science Education
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.259-267
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• 2005

This study was to investigate the elementary students' preconception on the brightness of electric bulb and degree of consistency on their preconceptions. Participants were 160 students of fifth graders in Seoul area. They had already teamed about the brightness of series circuit and parallel circuit of batteries. After they solved six problems in the same context, we provided them a pair of circuit which was an anomalous situation. And then they conducted CCLT (Cognitive Conflict Level Test). Elementary school students showed various preconceptions when they explained the light of bulb of two Simple electric Circuits. Many Students Consistently Showed the Scientific misconceptions like 'the light of bulb of two simple electric circuits was that the more batteries and the fewer bulbs were brighter.' The level of consistency that students presented scientific misconceptions was grouped all of four, such as 'high, middle, low, and nothing.' Therefore the higher scientific achievement they have, the higher consistency they have. As the students had high consistency level, they revealed high cognitive conflict level significantly. This high consistency will help them to change their preconception on the brightness of electric bulb and their cognitive conflict.