Avdunstning och molekyler : en longitudinell studie av hur grundskoleelever utvecklar sina uppfattningar om avdunstningsfenomen

Sammanfattning: This thesis presents results from a longitudinal study of students in compulsory school. The project started in spring 1997 when the students were about six years old, and finished in spring 2006 when they left compulsory school. One aim of the study was to follow individual students' development of conceptions about evaporation during their year in scool. Another aim has been to study how the students used a simplified particle model in their explanations of evaporation. The particle model was introduced early, in their first year. Teaching episodes focused on water, and its changes of state connected to everyday phenomena was taught. The students were interviewed before and after the teaching interventions and the explanations were analysed in order to find a comprehensive description of each student. In my analysis I have among other things found that heat is an important factor for evaporation when students are young but its importance seems to decrease when they get older. I have also seen that particle model has been helpful for the students in their explanations of evaporation.