Titre du document / Document title

Linking brain growth with the development of scientific reasoning ability and conceptual change during adolescence = Lier le développement du cerveau au développement des changements conceptuels et de la capacité à raisonner scientifiquement pendant l'adolescence.

Auteur(s) / Author(s)

KWON Y.-J. ⁽¹⁾ ; LAWSON A. E. ⁽²⁾ ;

Affiliation(s) du ou des auteurs / Author(s) Affiliation(s)

⁽¹⁾ Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Kyungbuk 790-784, COREE, REPUBLIQUE DE
⁽²⁾ Department of Biology, Arizona State University, PO Box 871501, Tempe, Arizona 85287, ETATS-UNIS

Résumé / Abstract

The hypothesis that an early adolescent brain growth plateau and spurt exists and that this plateau and spurt influence students' ability to reason scientifically and to learn theoretical science concepts was tested. In theory, maturation of the prefrontal lobes during early adolescence allows for improvements in students' abilities to inhibit task-irrelevant information and coordinate task-relevant information, which along with both physical and social experience influences scientific reasoning ability and the ability to reject scientific misconceptions and accept scientific conceptions. Two hundred ten students ages 13-16 years enrolled in four Korean secondary schools were administered tests of four prefrontal lobe activities, a test of scientific reasoning ability, and a test of air pressure concepts derived from kinetic-molecular theory. A series of 14 lessons designed to teach the concepts were then taught. The concepts test was then readministered following instruction. As predicted, among the 13- and 14-year-olds, performance on the prefrontal lobe measures remained similar or regressed. Performance then improved considerably among the 15- and 16-year-olds. Also as expected, the measures of prefrontal lobe activity correlated highly with scientific reasoning ability. In turn, prefrontal lobe activity and scientific reasoning ability predicted concept gains and posttest performance. A principal components analysis showed that the study variables had two main components, which were interpreted as an inhibiting and a representing component. Therefore, theoretical concept acquisition was interpreted as a process involving both the inhibition of task-irrelevant information (i.e., the rejection of intuitively derived misconceptions) and the representation of task-relevant information (i.e. complex hypothetico-deductive arguments and counterintuitive scientific conceptions about nonobservable entities).

Revue / Journal Title

Journal of research in science teaching   ISSN 0022-4308   CODEN JRSTAR 

Source / Source

2000, vol. 37, n^o1, pp. 44-62 (3 p.3/4)

Langue / Language

Anglais

Editeur / Publisher

Wiley, New York, NY, ETATS-UNIS  (1963) (Revue)

Mots-clés anglais / English Keywords

Korea R ; Intellectual Development ; Secondary School Student ; Adolescent ; Reasoning ; Ability ; Scientific Studies ;

Mots-clés français / French Keywords

Corée R ; Développement intellectuel ; Elève du secondaire ; Adolescent ; Raisonnement ; Capacité ; Etudes scientifiques ;

Localisation / Location

INIST-CNRS, Cote INIST : 14625, 35400008123433.0030