ABSTRACT

Background

We adopted a theoretical framework that the acquisition of a scientific concept comprises the development of connections among conceptual elements associated with a scientific term within a mental semantic network. Given this framework, the hypothesis that the surrounding words connected with a scientific term are relevant to the comprehension of that concept was considered.

Purpose

Students’ mental semantic networks through a word association test were examined, which experimentally revealed whether the quantitative and qualitative connection of scientific terminology with conceptual elements is related to concept comprehension.

Sample

We selected five scientific concept words – ‘force’, ‘motion’, ‘speed’, ‘mass’ and ‘gravity’ – and investigated the mental semantic networks of 1,189 students regarding these five words.

Design and Methods

We prepared a word association test and a concept comprehension test for the 5 words; further, we asked the subjects to write 10 words that are associated with each stimulus word. The concept comprehension test was conducted with multiple-choice questions, comprising 6 questions for each stimulus word. Additionally, this study examined the relation between the concept comprehension and word association test scores.

Results

All the values extracted from the word association test were significantly correlated with concept comprehension. Specifically, the concept comprehension score was higher when the relation between the scientific terminology and words that form the scientific context as well as the scientific terminology and other scientific terminologies were more closely and frequently connected in the mental semantic network.

Conclusion

This study experimentally verifies that word-level connections are related to concept comprehension in students’ mental semantic networks. This shows that a cognitive linguistic approach to the development and modification of students’ mental semantic networks can be applied effectively in science education. Moreover, it indicates the possibility of adopting linguistic strategies in science education for the formation and modification of scientific concepts.

中文翻译：

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科学术语的概念理解与心理语义网络的相关性

摘要

背景

我们采用了一个理论框架，即科学概念的获得包括与心理语义网络中与科学术语相关的概念元素之间的联系的发展。在此框架下，考虑了与科学术语相关的周围单词与该概念的理解有关的假设。

目的

通过单词联想测试对学生的心理语义网络进行了检查，该实验通过实验揭示了科学术语与概念元素的数量和质量联系是否与概念理解有关。

样品

我们选择了五个科学概念词–“力”，“运动”，“速度”，“质量”和“重力” –并针对这五个词调查了1,189名学生的心理语义网络。

设计与方法

我们为这5个单词准备了单词联想测试和概念理解测试。此外，我们要求受试者写出与每个刺激词相关的10个词。概念选择测试是针对多项选择题进行的，每个刺激词包含6个问题。此外，本研究检查了概念理解与单词联想测验分数之间的关系。

结果

从单词联想测试中提取的所有值都与概念理解显着相关。具体而言，当在心理语义网络中，科学术语与构成科学语境的单词之间的关系以及科学术语和其他科学术语之间的联系更加紧密和频繁时，概念理解得分就会更高。

结论

这项研究通过实验验证了单词级连接与学生心理语义网络中的概念理解有关。这表明，认知语言学方法可以发展和修改学生的心理语义网络，可以有效地应用于科学教育。而且，这表明在科学教育中采取语言策略以形成和修改科学概念的可能性。