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Surveying American and Turkish middle school students' existing knowledge of earthquakes by using a systemic network

Oguz, Ayse
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1132756370

Abstract Details

2005, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Teaching and Learning.
Global environmental events are becoming increasingly important, because most of them enter our daily lives and can shape our everyday activities. Earthquakes are some of the most important environmental events affecting our life. However, despite extensive media coverage, the public's scientific knowledge of earthquakes is limited. The purpose of this study was to design a questionnaire by using a new approach (systemic networks) to investigate students' existing knowledge of earthquakes. Systemic networks categorize features systematically in terms of events and their related actions. In the study, systemic networks were constructed around four questions: (a) what are earthquakes, (b) how do earthquakes happen, (c) how can earthquakes affect other things such as objects or living things, and (d) what can be done to protect ourselves from earthquakes. The questionnaire was administered to 823 students in 5th through 8th grades. Participants in the sample were chosen from two separate locations: Aydin, Turkey, which is in a high-risk earthquake zone; and Columbus OH, which is in a low-risk zone. The majority of students in the United States had received formal instruction about earthquakes, whereas the majority of students in Turkey had not. Comprehensive Exploratory Factor Analysis (CEFA version 1.03 for MS Windows) was used to examine students' patterns of thinking. Ten factors were found, based on the students' common pattern of thinking, and all 10 factors represented separate themes framed around the features of systemic networks. The research showed similarities as well as differences between the responses in the two countries. The US students’ scientific knowledge about earthquakes was significantly higher than Turkish students’ and they held fewer naive beliefs than Turkish students about the definition of earthquakes and about how earthquakes happen. Less than half of the students in both countries know about earthquake safety. Also, students who had experienced an earthquake did not have better knowledge about them. The success of this study suggests that the network design of the questionnaire might have broader application to different subject matter and concepts.
Karen Irving (Advisor)
181 p.
Earthquake education; Middle school students' existing knowledge; Systemic network

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Oguz, A. (2005). Surveying American and Turkish middle school students' existing knowledge of earthquakes by using a systemic network [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1132756370

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Oguz, Ayse. Surveying American and Turkish middle school students' existing knowledge of earthquakes by using a systemic network. 2005. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1132756370.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Oguz, Ayse. "Surveying American and Turkish middle school students' existing knowledge of earthquakes by using a systemic network." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2005. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1132756370

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1132756370
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© 2005, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.