• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.414-422
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• 2009

In this study, we investigated the influences of students' motivational characteristics on the processes of learning density concept using a discrepant event. The participants were 642 seventh graders from two middle schools. Tests of failure tolerance, self-efficacy and mastery/performance goal orientation were administered as pretests. A preconception test was also administered. The intervention was the students' individual study of the density concept with a worksheet that was designed to incorporate the major steps of conceptual change learning. The tests of attention, effort and conceptual understanding were administered as post-tests. The responses of 203 students who had been found to possess the target misconception were analyzed. The results of a path analysis revealed that students' motivational characteristics variables did not influence cognitive conflict. Failure tolerance and mastery goal orientation, however, influenced conceptual understanding via situational interest, attention and effort. Self-efficacy influenced conceptual understanding via effort. Performance goal orientation negatively influenced conceptual understanding via attention and effort. Cognitive conflict influenced conceptual understanding directly as well as indirectly via situational interest.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.51 no.3
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• pp.279-286
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• 2007

In this study, we investigated the influences of cognitive conflict and situational interest induced by a discrepant event and an alternative hypothesis, attention and state learning strategies on conceptual change. A preconception test was administered to 486 seventh graders. They also completed the questionnaires of cognitive response and situational interest to a discrepant event before/after presenting an alternative hypothesis. After learning the concept of density with a CAI program as conceptual change intervention, the tests of attention, state learning strategies, and conceptual understanding were administered as posttests. Analyses of the results for 197 students having misconceptions about density revealed that post-cognitive conflict was significantly higher than pre-cognitive conflict. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the test scores of pre-situational interest and post-situational interest. Pre-cognitive conflict only exerted a direct effect on post-cognitive conflict, while post-cognitive conflict exerted a direct effect and Journal of the Korean Chemical Society an indirect effect via attention on conceptual understanding. Both pre- and post-situational interests were found to influence on conceptual understanding via attention. Attention had influences positively on deep learning strategy and negatively on surface learning strategy. There was a relatively small effect of state learning strategies on conceptual understanding.

• Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.412-420
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• 2007

In this study, we investigated the influences of the epistemological beliefs on the conceptual change processes in respects of cognitive conflict, situational interest, attention and state learning strategies. After administering epistemological belief questionnaire as a pretest, 218 seventh graders possessing misconceptions about density were selected from the results of a preconception test. The questionnaires of responses to a discrepant event and situational interest were administered. After learning with a CAI program, attention test, state learning strategy test and conception test were also administered as post-tests. Analysis of the results revealed that fixed ability, quick learning and certain knowledge, which are epistemological factors, were highly related, but only certain knowledge exerted a direct effect on conceptual understanding negatively. It also had positive effects on attention directly as well as via situational interest, and thus increased conceptual understanding, even if the effects were relatively smaller than the direct effect. However, epistemological beliefs had little influence on conceptual understanding through cognitive conflict and/or state learning strategies.