| Files: | Description | File size | Format | Browse |
| Fulltext | 1.08 MB | PDF (requires Acrobat Reader) | Previous | Next |
| | |
| Authors: | Marja-Ilona Koski: Science Education and Communication (SEC), Technical University of Delft, The Netherlands |
| | Marc de Vries: Science Education and Communication (SEC), Technical University of Delft, The Netherlands |
| Publication title: | Primary pupils’ thoughts about systems. An exploratory study |
| Conference: | PATT 26 Conference, Technology Education in the 21st Century, Stockholm, Sweden, 26-30 June, 2012 |
| Publication type: | Abstract and Fulltext |
| Issue: | 073 |
| Article No.: | 030 |
| Abstract: | This paper presents a study into systems thinking among 27 primary school pupils, 8-to10-yearolds, and their teacher. The study includes, pre-test to the teacher and a group of pupils, lesson planning, the actual lesson and post-test to the pupils. The focus is on three concepts: do the pupils see a system as a structure consisting from main- and subparts, what are the inputs and output that they reason to be important for a system, and can they put boundaries to a system. Analysis revealed that the pupils showed some indications of machines consisting from parts with different functions, or that a sequence of steps is needed to complete a process. Systems, however, are mainly described in terms of what the user can experience, instead of what the machine itself does. The concept of input was more obvious to the pupils than the output. The impression of what a systems does, and what a user does, seemed to overlap, and this made setting the boundaries to a system more demanding. Nevertheless, by including basic principles of systems thinking, the teacher was able to introduce alternatives to approach the problems. Even though, the systems thinking was rather limited in larger sense, the pupils were able to reach beyond fair descriptions, and they used new practices to explain and label artefacts. |
| Language: | English |
| Keywords: | Primary pupils, systems thinking, qualitative study, main- and subparts, input and output, system boundaries |
| Year: | 2012 |
| No. of pages: | 9 |
| Pages: | 253-261 |
| ISBN: | 978-91-7519-849-1 |
| Series: | Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings |
| ISSN (print): | 1650-3686 |
| ISSN (online): | 1650-3740 |
| File: | http://www.ep.liu.se/ecp/073/030/ecp12073030.pdf |
| Available: | 2012-06-18 |
| Publisher: | Linköping University Electronic Press, Linköpings universitet |
|
| REFERENCE TO THIS PAGE |
Ph.D., Lic. Theses
