Conceptual Labs for operative Exploration Marisa Michelini , Alberto Stefanel, Lorenzo Santi

1. d) e) f) c) a) ConceptualLabs for operative Exploration Marisa Michelini, Alberto Stefanel, Lorenzo Santi PERG, Marisa Michelini, Lorenzo Santi, Alberto Stefanel Research Unit in Physics Education, DCFA, University of Udine via delle Scienze 206, 33100 Udine, Italymarisa.michelini@uniud.it, Lorenzo.santi@uniud.it, alberto.stefanel@uniud.it b) Università degli Studi di Udine Università degli Studi di Udine Introduction In the perspective of the MER [1], designing new educational path require to gain new information on how students face the specific subject explored. At the PERG of Udine the main steps of the new educational paths were explored with pupils engaged in Conceptual Laboratory of Operative Exploration (CLOE) in informal learning contexts, where using different monitoring tools student spontaneous ideas as well their learning paths were explored and stimulated [2-4]. In CLOE pupils discuss everyday life scenarios, recover their everyday and sensorial knowledge, as well as involve them in the challenges of explorations according to an IBL strategies. The CLOE lab are research based proposals of learning where explore how pupils build formal thinking, reflect on phenomena and construct models, reinterpret common everyday knowledge. The research focus is on the reasoning sequence, the ways in which knowledge is structured, the development of interpretative representations. [5-7]. Theoretical background The concept of energy at any level has a central role in the whole science curricula, being founded in physics, as a synthetic way to look at the phenomena with the role of conceptual organizer in their analysis. It is an important part of the cultural baggage for all citizens. It is still a research subject, to consider what kind of : educational approaches follow, the knots to be considered, at what age to introduce it, how to bridge the gap between the scientific meaning of energy with that of everyday life usage, of the word, energy [8]. A great effort was made in the last two decades of the past century to propose hands on/minds on approaches to the concept of energy in middle school, and to study on how students construct their energy based view on the phenomena [1,8]. For the primary school level, some proposals show that it is possible to treat an operative approach in a qualitative way also with students of 4-5th grade, adopting different approaches: starting with the analysis of human or living action as energy transformation, following a spiral path; focusing on mechanical energy; focusing on internal energy [8]. In a research project about teaching and learning energy in a vertical perspective, we have had designed and experimented an inquiry based educational approach for primary students in a school. This approach was the base for an informal learning activity implemented as Conceptual Laboratories of Operative Exploration (CLOE) [2-7]. The CLOE labs constitute, in our project, a research environment to test, from one side, the crucial knots of our proposal, to explore, on the other side, the students’ learning path, using audio-records, questionnaires, open worksheets. The structure of the CLOE labs on energy will here be presented, discussing the conceptual knots proposed to the students, the related research questions and the principal results emerged on the students learning processes. The CLOE labs: informal learning context for research The CLOE labs [29] were designed and proposed at the schools as a cooperation context, between school and universities since 2008 [30]. The CLOE Labs on energy which are being considered here, were proposed to the schools of Udine and Crema (Italy), involving pupils in an inquiry based labs and a visit to the hands-on/minds-on exhibit, GEI [29,32]. The sample considered here, is composed by 310 students (7-10 years old), as presented in table 1 In Udine in the scientific culture projects PARSCI, MILMAS, LABGEI held in spring 2008, 2009 and 2011. In Crema in the context of the scientific festival Mediaexpo held in Crema in November 2010-2011, on multimedia and teaching/learning in primary school organized by IstitutoComprensivoTrescore. Data Q1. What do you know about energy? Q4. Conservation of Energy and meaning of conserve. Each CLOE lab lasted 90 minutes and was divided in three phases: 1) filling individually a written questionnaire (see Table II); 2) discussing in a large group the answers written for the questionnaire, to individuate the problematic points, to share the suggested situations, to compare the different positions, to collect the suggestions on which kind of paths to proceed; 3) following a path of conceptual exploration, carried out in little group of four or five, in challenging the questions and practical tasks related to problem-situations suggested by the students during the second phase and according to their personal paths of reasoning. In the last explorative phase, the researcher adapt the path to students, having at disposal, the rich set of simple experiments, apparatus and toys organized in an educational patha) Distribution of the Q1 responses, in which are formulated general criteria to identify the energy. A) existence of energy in various types/forms; B) energy as a source; C) energy identified with other thing or entity; D) properties/attributes of energy; E) existence of sources of energy. In the ACD) category is included the standard definition: energy as capacity to do work. Categories of the meanings of energy conservation: A) Not used; B) last long/being during the process; C) storage; D) taking as an object; E) transform; F) never ending; G) do not change in time; NE) No explanation. Conclusions Here we have discussed the results with primary students involved in Conceptual Laboratory of Operative Exploration (CLOE) on Energy. In the CLOE labs students are involved in a context of informal education in a pre-questionnaire focused on our main educational goals on energy, the discussion of it to individuate the knots to be explored in the last part of CLOE labs where students analyze in terms of energy simple systems. Our sample is composed by 310 students (3-5 grades) of different primary schools in the North of Italy. Using an initial questionnaire we collected information on such issues, situations, systems and contexts that students associate more prevalently to energy. They identified prevalently energy through his forms (not categorized), as an autonomous entity that can transform, or something useful for live and society. (RQ1). Primary students attributed to expression like energy conservation, energy transformation meaning completely different from the scientific one, (R2). The hands-on/minds-on situations proposed in the CLOE labs create for the students a stimulating environment in which construct step by step the concept of kinetic energy, potential energy, internal energy and energy related to light.. Q2-Q3 Things making energy-Things having energy. In overall the systems mentioned in the answers to Q3 and Q2 items are the same: make or have energy appear to be identifying in the background idea that energy is a concrete entity. Comparison of the distributions of the category of object/systems that “make” energy, as request in Q2 question, and “have” energy, as request in Q3 question. Legend: A) water/air/wind; B) power central; C) sun; D) fuel; E) batteries; F) electricity, magnetism; G) Light; H) human body; I) electrical devices/motors/car. [1] R. Duit, Science Education Research – An Indispensable Prerequisite for Improving Instructional Practice. Paper presented at Summer School, Braga, (2006), pg. 1-15. [2] Stefanel A, Moschetta C, Michelini M, Cognitive Labs in an informal context to develop formal thinking in children, in Developing Formal Thinking in Physics, Michelini M, Cobal M eds,Girep Book of selected papers, Forum, Udine (ISBN: 88-8420-148-9), (2002), pg. 276-283. [3] FedeleB, Michelini M, Stefanel A (2005) 5-10 years old pupils explore magnetic phenomena in Cognitive Laboratory (CLOE), in CRESILS, Pitntò R, Couso D eds., selected papers in ESERA publication, Barcellona [ISBN: 689-1129-1]. [4] BradamanteF, Fedele B, Michelini M (2005) Children‘s spontaneous ideas of magnetic and gravitational fields, in CRESILS, Pitntò R, Couso D eds., selected papers in ESERA publication, Barcellona [ISBN: 689-1129-1]. [5]M. Michelini (2006) The Learning Challenge: A Bridge Between Everyday Experience And Scientfìc Knowledge, in Informai Learning And Public Understanding Of Physics,Planinsic G, Mohoric A eds., selected papers in Girep book, Ljubijana (SLO) [ISBN 961-6619-00-4], pg. 18-39 [6] S R C P. Challapalli, M. Michelini, A. Stefanel (2012) Children Construct Coherent Argumentation And Formal Thinking On Energy In A Conceptual Lab Of Operative Exploration (Cloe), in The interfaces of subjects taught in the primary schools and on possible models of integrating them. 25th to 27th of May, 2012 Faculty of Education in Sombor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia [7] S R C P. Challapalli, M. Michelini, A. Stefanel (2012) Conceptual Laboratories Of Operative Exploration (Cloe) To Build Formal Thinking In Basic School: The Case Of Sound, in The interfaces of subjects taught in the primary schools and on possible models of integrating them. 25th to 27th of May, 2012 Faculty of Education in Sombor, University of Novi Sad, Serbia [8] EylonB S, Heron P R L, Lehavi Y, Michelini M, Stefanel A (2011) Teaching about energy,International Conference GIREP-ICPE-MPTL 2010 Proceedings, Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne, Reims 22-27 August 2010, http://www.univ-reims.fr/site/evenement/girep-icpe-mptl-2010-reims-international-conference