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Alternative conceptions held by adults on the concept of decomposition and the cyclic nature of matter
Abstract
The research question: What do adults understand about the cyclic nature of organic matter and the concepts in decomposition? This study examined the scientific and alternate views on the concept of decomposition in two phases. The first is a constructive phase and dealt with collecting ideas and terminology. The second, the validation phase, determined how many adults shared the ideas collected. The constructive phase involved clinically interviewing 20 adult subjects of various age groups and educational backgrounds using open ended questions and concepts mapping. The validation stage was administering a survey constructed with the ideas found in the clinical interviewing to various people randomly in public places and employment facilities. Additional data was collected regarding the experience of the subjects in composting and gardening or courses in biology or chemistry. This data was examined to identify what ideas are held most often by adults, what ideas are not in conjunction with scientific concepts, and what variables might have produced the factors based on a constructivist approach to educational development. The findings include firmly held ideas about the decomposition of bones and the lack of understanding of the microbial role of decomposition.
Subject Area
Science education|Environmental science|Adult education|Continuing education
Recommended Citation
Koscher, Elizabethann A, "Alternative conceptions held by adults on the concept of decomposition and the cyclic nature of matter" (1996). Doctoral Dissertations Available from Proquest. AAI9619402.
https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations/AAI9619402