showing 5 related works from this author
A quantitative analysis of Educational Data through the Comparison between Hierarchical and Not-Hierarchical Clustering
2017
Many research papers have studied the problem of taking a set of data and separating it into subgroups through the methods of Cluster Analysis. However, the variables and parameters involved in Cluster Analysis have not always been outlined and criticized, especially in the field of Science Education. Moreover, in the field of Science Education, a comparison between two different Clustering methods is not discussed in the literature. Conceptions of students about modeling in physic are investigated by using an open-ended questionnaire. The questionnaire is analyzed through Clustering methods. The clustering results obtained by using the two methods are compared and show a good coherence bet…
A quantitative analysis of university student reasoning lines in the field of thermally activated phenomena
2018
In this contribution we present a research aimed at studying the effectiveness of two workshops in improving reasoning skills in undergraduate students. Both the workshops are based on the Feynman Unifying Approach. A questionnaire containing six open-ended questions on the temperature dependence of evaporation of a liquid and of a chemical reaction was administered to the students of both groups before instruction. A second one, similar to the first but focused on a physical content different from both the pre-instruction test one and the content dealt with during the workshops, was administered after instruction. The responses to the pre- and post-instruction questionnaires are analyzed b…
Mi descrivi il tuo disegno del Mattoncino Lego? Un’esperienza didattica di matematica nella scuola dell’infanzia
2018
La consapevolezza dell’importanza di guardare, attraverso una lente di tipo matematico, i disegni prodotti dai bambini, considerandoli come strumento diagnostico per quello che D’Amore et al. (2004) chiamano come il “Campo di Esperienza” Spazio, Ordine e Misura, ha dato spunto a questo contributo che discute una sperimentazione didattica condotta in una sezione di scuola dell’infanzia (5 anni). All’interno della stessa è stato chiesto ai bambini di rappresentare dei mattoncini Lego con un disegno, e di descrivere successivamente i propri elaborati rintracciando e argomentando in essi eventuali segni di scarto numerico-spaziali rispetto al mattoncino osservato/manipolato, attraverso visioni …
Non-Hierarchical Clustering as a method to analyse an open-ended questionnaire on algebraic thinking
2016
The problem of taking a data set and separating it into subgroups, where the members of each subgroup are more similar to each other than they are to members outside the subgroup, has been extensively studied in science and mathematics education research. Student responses to written questions and multiple-choice tests have been characterised and studied using several qualitative and/or quantitative analysis methods. However, there are inherent difficulties in the categorisation of student responses in the case of open-ended questionnaires. Very often, researcher bias means that the categories picked out tend to find the groups of students that the researcher is seeking out. In this paper, …
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Modelling-Oriented Workshops for Engineering Undergraduates in the Field of Thermally Activated Phenomena
2017
Two 20-h modelling-based workshops focused on the explanation of ther- mally activated phenomena were held at the University of Palermo, Italy, during the Academic Year 2014–2015. One of them was conducted by applying an inquiry-based approach, while the other, still based on laboratory and modelling activities, was not focused on inquiry. Seventy-two students belonging to the Undergraduate Program for Chemical Engineering attended the two workshops. The related content was focused on an à la Feynman unifying approach to thermally activated phenomena. Question- naires were administered to the students of both groups, before and post instruction. Responses were analysed using k-means cluster…