CONCEPTIONS OF LEARNING SCIENCE IN INFORMAL ENVIRONMENTS AMONG PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN MAINLAND CHINA

Previous studies on students’ conceptions of learning science (COLS) have focused primarily on formal environments. In these studies, students’ COLS were positively associated with their approaches to and outcomes for science learning. However, little research has been conducted to explore students’ conceptions of learning science in informal environments (COLSIE), despite its importance to students’ academic achievement. To fill this research gap, this study qualitatively and quantitatively explored Chinese primary school students’ COLSIE. First, in Study I, interview data gathered from a group of 80 students were analysed using the phenomenographic method, and ten hierarchical categories of COLSIE emerged (e.g., communicating and explaining). Based on these categories, a survey was developed and distributed to another group of 414 students in Study II. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted to validate the survey, which revealed nine factors matching the ten categories except for the initial categories of applying and understanding. This study also revealed the commonalities and uniqueness of COLSIE in comparison with students’ COLS in formal environments. The findings suggested that informal science learning experiences may strengthen students’ impressions of science practices. Science educators are encouraged to provide their students with opportunities to engage with science practices in informal environments. Keywords: primary school students; Mainland China; conceptions of learning science; informal environments; phenomenographic

THE EFFECTS OF CURRICULUM, GENDER AND STUDENTS’ FAVORITE SCIENCE SUBJECT ON INDONESIAN HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS’ CONCEPTIONS OF LEARNING SCIENCE

Conceptions of learning have been known as having influence on students’ learning outcomes, the one of which is science learning as to be a scientifically literate person. Even, the effects of students’ conceptions in learning have been known, but the contributing factors are still vague. This research aims to explore Indonesian high-school students’ conceptions of learning science (COLS), to find out if gender and students’ favorite science subject cause differences in their COLS, and to validate the COLS instrument by using Rasch analyses. Thirty-one items measuring six COLS were administered to 609 Indonesian high-school students. Rasch analyses, an independent sample t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and cluster analyses featuring chi-square tests of interdependence were used to answer the research questions. Based on the analyses, it was found that the COLS instrument was best fitted as six-dimensional. Gender difference was emerged in memorizing, and differences based on students’ favorite science subject were also found in memorizing and calculating and practicing. Finally, the results of cluster analyses showed that Indonesian students were divided into three different classes based on their COLS, and that the clusters were significantly related to the school locations. Keywords: conceptions of learning science, gender, Indonesia, science learning, secondary level.