misconceptions in astronomy communicating astronomy with the public athens, greece 8-11 october 2007...

MISCONCEPTIONS IN ASTRONOMY

Communicating

Astronomy with

the PublicAthens, Greece

8-11 October 2007

A. Teresa Gallego Calvente

Stefano Sandrelli

Amelia Ortiz Gil

MISCONCEPTIONS IN ASTRONOMY

Study performed by

Astronomical Observatory of Brera (Italy) Astronomical Observatory of the University of Valencia (Spain)

based on “Astronomical Pills: one-shot questions about the Universe” (F. Cavalloti, S. Romaniello & S. Sandrelli; CAP 2005, Munich)

CAP 2007; Athens, Greece, 8-11 October

Where are misconceptions from?

MISCONCEPTIONS

Common-sense framework

(representation of the environment

based on perceptions)

Scientific-sense framework

(logical abstraction, hypothetical-deductive

reasoning)

CAP 2007; Athens, Greece, 8-11 October

What misconceptions depend on?

In the past century: Piaget’s theory about cognitive development

by phases => depend only on age

Modern theories: Cognitive structures interact with learnt

contents and produce resistant conceptual schemes => social framework, educational level and age (e.g. Cavallini, 1995; Mayer, 1990)

SO …

Sandrelli et al. explored their evolution (if any) depending on age and socio-educational factors, from a cognitive structures point of view.

BUT …

What it happens in other countries?

ITALIAN-SPANISH SAMPLE 11-13 years old

(last years of junior school)

14-16 years old

(first two years of secondary school)

More than 16 years old

(last years of secondary school)

And from different types of school

Different School Levels and Age Ranges

1º y 2º E.S.O. (11-13 years old); 37%

Teachers; 3%

Bachillerato (> 16 years old); 15%

3º y 4º E.S.O. (14-16 years old); 45%

TIPO E GRADO DI SCUOLA

Liceo Scientifico50%

Liceo Classico10%

ITIS4%

Liceo Linguistico9%

Altro secondaria superiore

7%

Medie20%

Spain

Italy

TEST FEATURES

More than 2000 tests between Italy and Spain…

9 questions, some closed-answer questions with multiple-choice on common- and scientific-sense and some open-answer questions.

DATA ANALYSISPerception of the Universe

Three possible scenarios:

1. “Cosmic Box”

2. “Solar System”

3. “Empty Expanse”

Si digo Universo, ¿qué imagen te viene a la mente? Dibújala.

56%

41%

1% 2%

56%

37%

5% 2%

44% 47%

4% 4%

60%

15%25%

0%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

a) "CosmicBox"

b) "SistemaSolar"

c)"Extensiónde vacío"

d) Otros

Porcentaje de alumn@s

y profesorado que elige

la respuesta a), b), c) o d)

1º y 2º E.S.O. (11-13 años)

3º y 4º E.S.O. (14-16 años)

Bachilleraro (> 16 años)

Profesorado

13-14 yrs

14-16 yrs

> 16 yrs

DATA ANALYSISPerception of distances

• For the size of the Solar System, students had the correct idea about the order of magnitude

• Students seem to know nothing about hyerarchy in the Universe.

Imagina que puedes ir de la Tierra al Sol con un solo paso. ¿Cuántos pasos necesitarías para llegar hasta Júpiter?

24%

14%

45%

17%

22%

14%

53%

12%

18%16%

52%

14%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

a) alrededor de 1 b) unos 20 c) unos 5 d) más de 100

Porcentaje de alumn@s que elige


1º y 2º E.S.O. (11-13 años)

3º y 4º E.S.O. (14-16 años)

Bachillerato (> 16 años)

Si tardas 8 minutos en viajar hasta el Sol desde la Tierra a la velocidad de la luz, ¿cuánto tardarías en llegar a la estrella más próxima?

47%

24%

17%13%

43%

27%

17%13%

45%

30%

12% 12%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

a) unos 3 dias b) unos 8meses

c) unos 4 años d) unos 512años



1º y 2º E.S.O. (11-13 años)

3º y 4º E.S.O. (14-16 años)


DATA ANALYSISGravity (I)

La forza di gravita' e':

10%25%

52%

13%8%20%

61%

10%7%15%

68%

9%

0%20%40%60%80%

a) la forzacon la qualeil Sole attira

la Terra

b) la forzacon la qualela Terra ci fa

cadere

c) la forza diinterazione

fra duequalsiasi

corpi dotatidi massa

d) l'energiadi un corpoche cade

solo vecchio test



MEDIE (13-14 anni)

SUPERIORI (14-16 anni)

SUPERIORI (> 16 anni)

I corpi sono sferici perche':

39%

0%

61%

0%

16% 16%

63%

4%14% 12%

74%

0%0%

15%30%45%60%75%90%

a) ruotanoattorno al

Sole

b) la sfera e'una formageometricaperfetta

c) ruotanointorno a se

stesso

d1) tutti gliuomini

stanno con ipiedi perterra e la

testa in alto

solo nuovo test(sólo 18 alumn@s de 13-14 años)



MEDIE (13-14 anni)

SUPERIORI (14-16 anni)

SUPERIORI (> 16 anni)

Italian group obtained evidence that language formalism significantly affects the subjects’ answers irrespective of school grade.

DATA ANALYSISGravity (II)

Si hacemos un túnel en la Tierra desde el Polo Norte hasta el Polo Sur y dejamos caer una bolita en él,

¿qué le ocurrirá?

10%6%

15%

70%

10% 6%12%

72%

9% 12% 15%

64%

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

a) La bolitase

desplazaráde un Polo al

otro parasiempre

b) La bolitase quedaquieta encuanto lasoltamos

c) La bolitaescapa porel Polo Sur

d) La bolitase para

cuando llegaal centro de

la Tierra



1º y 2º E.S.O. (11-13 años)

3º y 4º E.S.O. (14-16 años)


Most people seemed to have assimilated the concept of gravity, but other questions showed the opposite result…

¿Hay gravedad en la Estación Espacial Internacional?

26%

21%

38%

16%

36%

24%28%

13%

32%

27%

35%

6%

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%

a) No b) Sí, pero suvalor es

despreciable

c) Sí, pero suvalor es menor

que en lasuperficie de

la Tierra

d) Sí, pero suvalor es el

mismo que enla superficiede la Tierra



1º y 2º E.S.O. (11-13 años)

3º y 4º E.S.O. (14-16 años)


LESSONS LEARNT

The Italian-Spanish research results agree in the following:

• Results suggest that age and schooling do not modify the most basic ideas regarding the Universe.

• Some misconceptions were demonstrated to be difficult to eradicate, while others are affected by the use of a specific language form.

• Misconceptions are resistant to time: our results are very similar to surveys carried out ~15 years ago.

LESSONS LEARNT

• We did not find any significative difference between boys and girls either.

P.1. - 1º y 2º E.S.O.

26%17%

42%

15%23%

11%

48%

18%

0%

20%

40%

60%


Hombre

Mujer

P.1. - 3º y 4º E.S.O.

26%

12%

51%

10%17% 16%

54%

13%

0%

20%

40%

60%


Hombre

Mujer

P.1. - Bachillerato

19% 16%

58%

7%17% 16%

49%

17%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%


Hombre

Mujer

WHAT CAN WE DO TO ERADICATE MISCONCEPTIONS?

Focus efforts on helping to change these schemes by inducing on the students “clash of ideas” situations

In that way students could adquire a dynamic mental model consistent with the scientific model

IN THAT WAY…

• “New” All-Skymaps

• Talks inducing

“clash of ideas” situations.

NEXT STEPS

Finish a new program of activities in this way.

Design a evaluation strategy about efficiency valid from Experimental Sciences point of view (maybe a triangular scheme)

Study lessons learnt

misconceptions in astronomy communicating astronomy with the public athens, greece 8-11 october 2007...

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