Shifting sands

“The main data collection technique used was semi-structured respondent interviews, using a variation of the ‘interview-about-instances’ technique (Gilbert et al. 1985), with line diagrams as the foci for discussion ...

During some interviews, where it was deemed appropriate, the respondents were asked to draw diagrams to illustrate their ideas.

In a learner’s first interview three questions were used (or paraphrased) to initiate discussion about each focal diagram presented:

(i) what was the figure meant to represent?;

(ii) was there any bonding in the species/substance represented?; and if

so

3. (iii)what type(s) of bonding was/were present?
   

However, once a dialogue was initiated, the student’s elicited ideas were then followed-up, both at the time and in subsequent interviews. Some supplementary data were collected in the form of student course work (such as concept maps and relevant test scripts), and this also informed the interviewer’s questions...

Comments that had been made by other respondents also suggested potentially fruitful areas to explore. Some of the students also undertook Kelly’s repertory test (the ‘method of triads’) which provided another slice of data...

Tajinder was interviewed on 23 occasions over his two-year course... and supplementary data were collected—including 15 pieces of relevant course work, responses to Kelly’s repertory test (on five occasions), and three tape-recorded dialogues with other students about past examination questions... This provided the richness of data that enabled an authentic analysis of conceptual development to be attempted.”

Taber, K. S. (2001). Shifting sands: a case study of conceptual development as competition between alternative conceptions. International Journal of Science Education, 23(7), 731-753.

Shifting sands: a case study of conceptual development as competition between alternative conceptions.

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