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ERIC Number: ED252406
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1984-Oct
Pages: 44
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Pupils' Ideas about Flowering Plants. Learning in Science Project (Primary). Working Paper No. 125.
Biddulph, Fred
The Learning in Science Project (Primary)--LISP(P)--investigated the ideas and interests children have about flowering plants (in particular whether these plants have a life cycle). Data were obtained from: individual interviews with children, ages 7- to 14-year-old (10 students for each age level), using the "interview-about-instances" (IAI) procedure; a survey of 351 students to establish the prevalence of ideas that emerged during the interviews; and whole-class sessions to elicit questions children have about flowering plants. Results are presented, analyzed, and discussed in separate sections representing students' views about: the instances and non-instances of flowering plants; the functions of flowers, fruit, and seeds; and the reproduction of certain plants. A separate section is devoted to other ideas (such as all plants having seeds) expressed during interviews. One finding noted is that only 4 students (out of the 80 interviewed) had an idea of the flowering plant life cycle similar to that of a biologist's view. Implications for science instruction, based on this and other findings, are discussed, such as providing experiences for students to see different plants in flower, fruit, and seed stages. (IAI cards, the classroom survey questionnaire, and initiating strategies to elicit students' questions about flowering plants are included in appendices.) (JN)
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: Teachers; Researchers; Administrators; Policymakers; Practitioners
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: Waikato Univ., Hamilton (New Zealand). Science Education Research Unit.
Identifiers - Location: New Zealand
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A