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Childrens’ beliefs about the human circulatory system

University of British Columbia

This exploratory study was aimed at uncovering childrens' beliefs and ideas about the human circulatory system. Thirty-two subjects, aged from 7 to 14 years, were interviewed using a modification of Piaget's Clinical Method. The data were analysed by developing a "conceptual inventory" of beliefs for each of five research questions. It was found that the interview methodology was effective in ascertaining these belief structures. Many children were found to possess similar beliefs about certain aspects of the circulatory system. Developmental trends were also evident from the data collected. It was found that many of the beliefs from this study paralleled the ancient scientific ideas about this system. It is felt that the beliefs uncovered in this study will aid the educational community by providing an insight into some of the "typical" ideas that children bring to the classroom.

Text

2010-03-26

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/22746

Science Education

University of British Columbia

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