Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education
By Korur, Fikret
“Exploring Seventh-Grade Students’ and Pre-Service Science Teachers’ Misconceptions in Astronomical Concepts”
Publisher: ISER
5/11
Pp. 1042-2060
2015
Exploring Seventh-Grade Students’ and Pre-Service Science Teachers’ Misconceptions in Astronomical Concepts
Type: Empirical
Data collection method: Survey
Number of subjects, range: Large — 31 or more
Grade and age of subjects: 6th-8th grade — 12-14 years, Adult — over 18 years
Seventh graders misconceptions
- Meteors and meteorites are stones crashing to Earth.
- The stars reflect the light incoming from the sun.
- Shooting stars are visible comets.
- Stars give off light and heat, but the planets cannot be seen.
- When a meteor crashes to the Earth it forms a meteor pit.
- The Sun is the biggest celestial body. Therefore, it is bigger than either the Galaxy or the comets.
- The infinite space outside the Earth is defined as the Universe; within this infinite space, all of the celestial bodies are defined as the Galaxy.
- The Earth is among the stars in the solar system.
Preservice teachers’ misconceptions
- Stars give off light and heat, but planets cannot be seen.
- The infinite space outside of the Earth is defined as Space; within this infinite space, all of the celestial bodies are defined as the Galaxy.
- The Earth is among the stars in the solar system.
- If the distance from the Earth to Pluto is 1 cm, then the stars we see at night are less than 1 cm distant from Earth. (SCALING Misconception).
- A light-year is a unit of time.