在青少年期连接大脑成长科学推理能力发展概念转变.pdf

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING VOL. 37, NO. 1, PP. 44–62 (2000) Linking Brain Growth with the Development of Scientific Reasoning Ability and Conceptual Change during Adolescence Yong-Ju Kwon,1 Anton E. Lawson2 1Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Kyungbuk 790-784, Korea 2Department of Biology, Arizona State University, PO Box 871501, Tempe, Arizona 85287 Received 6 April 1998; accepted 14 September 1999 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 con- cepts was tested. In theory, maturation of the prefrontal lobes during early adolescence allows for im- provements in students’ abilities to inhibit task-irrelevant information and coordinate task-relevant infor- mation, 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 kinet- ic-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, perfor- mance on the prefrontal lobe measures remained similar or regressed. Performance then improved con- sidera