A Preliminary Study On The Secondary Students' Classification Capacity And Scientific Concept Learning

The origin and development of cognition has been a hot spot in the field of psychology and pedagogy, and classification capacity is an important aspect of cognitive field. A series of classification theories formed based on researches on classification and people know a lot through these researches. Classification is a kind of mental operation, which distinguishes children's behaviors into different ones according to common ground and difference of their thought. Scientific concept develops when children classify something which means they can explain it with knowledge. Classification is a important way to form scientific concepts. In the new round of curriculum reform, inquiry-orientated is advocated a lot. And teachers should pay enough attention to the experience children gained in their daily life so that they can accelerate students' concept change and further learning.In this study, clinic interview is adopted. Subjects consist of 18 grade one students of junior high schools who have not receive formal physics and 33 grade two students who have received physics teaching for months. The interview tool includes a series of objects made of different materials and developed by myself. Students' classification capacity and scientific concept learning are important aspects to focus on according to the kinds and quantity of classification basis and level of the classification. To check the result of the reserch,9 grade one senior high school students are chosen to be interviewed. The results showed that:1. Grade discrepancy of the classification capacity exists between grade one and grade two students of junior high school, Grade two students behave much better than grade one students both in the quantity of classification basis and the score of classification task.2. Concerning about the quantity of classification basis, there are no difference between boys and girls of grade one in junior high schools. While remarkable discrepancy shows between boys and girls in grade two. as for the score in the classification task, there are also remarkable discrepancy and boys behave better than girls. To sum up, differentiation of classification between boys and girls come up in grade two of junior high schools.3. Grade one students mostly belong to the second level: classify things according to the exterior characters but not the attributes. Grade two students can classify things according to the attributes of objects but most of them do it based on their misconception gained in their daily experience, which is a mixture of scientific concepts and daily experience.4. Notable correlation exists between students' result of physics and classification capacity.5. It is a key period for grade two students to turn their misconception into scientific concepts. There are many daily experience exist in students' mind. Some of them can speed up science study and some can slow down it and teachers should use it properly. 6. In the process of classification, the shape of objects affect students' behaviors. If students can form correct concept of volume, they are more likely to do a more fine classification.Generally speaking, guided by the related psychology theories, junior students' classification capacity and scientific concept learning in a concrete situation are discussed in this research. Besides, suggestions are given so that this study conclusion can provide helpful reference to teachers and students in science curriculum teaching and learning.