RESEARCH PAPER
Examining the cognitive structure of elementary school students regarding science, energy sources, and health using the word association method
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1
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, HUNGARY
2
MTA-DE Early Science Learning Research Group, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, HUNGARY
Online publication date: 2024-06-26
Publication date: 2024-07-01
EURASIA J. Math., Sci Tech. Ed 2024;20(7):em2479
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
We explored the cognitive structure of students in grade 1-grade 4 using word association in
three topics (science, energy sources, and health) with six-six keywords (stimulus words) per topic.
Based on the common associations given to the stimulus words, we calculated the relatedness
coefficient for the stimulus word pairs. This was used to draw a cognitive structure, the conceptual
network, characteristic of each group of learners. We found that the verbal version of the word
association test is suitable for studying the cognitive structure of young schoolchildren. The typical
conceptual network of the student groups shows a strong correlation with the knowledge
structure of experts in grade 4 (in all three topics), as well as in grade 1 and grade 3 (in the topic
of health). Using word association tests, we have been able to demonstrate that the number and
strength of connections in the conceptual networks for groups of learners increases with the
learners’ grade and their everyday experience of the topic.
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