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Access Type
WSU Access
Date of Award
January 2025
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ed.D.
Department
Curriculum and Instruction
First Advisor
Jazlin Ebenezer
Abstract
This study investigates the conceptions of Earth’s layers by N= 56 fifth-grade students attending an urban school’s science classroom. The study focuses on the students’ relational conceptual change of their imaginative perspectives of the Earth's layers, from the crust to the core. The study employs a robust mixed-methods approach to the classroom’s discourse analysis approaching the experimental and control groups’ learning conducts. The methods incorporate the experimental and control groups’ learning activities into data collection, using pre- and post-tests, classroom observations, collecting students’ completed worksheets, and phenomenography interviews. The experimental group used a pattern of Predict-Observe-Explain (POE) during the “exploring and categorizing” phase of students’ conceptual models to identify their critical conceptions of the Earth’s layers as concepts in the lesson’s sequence activities. The teacher-student and peer groups’ oral discussions during the “constructing and negotiating” phase formed the students’ articulated ideas during writing, drawing, and sketching POE activities, while “translating and extending” their ideas are characterized through the argumentation pattern of Claim-Evidence-Explanation (C-E-E) activities. Both groups’ activities are audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed to identify which group is critically achieved the conceptual change. Findings revealed that the experimental group shows five conceptual categories related to Earth's visible physical features, geographical organization, size and shape, technology and exploration, and human interaction, as well as three core-related categories focusing on layered structures, textures, and dynamic processes. Hierarchical descriptive and argumentation categories emerged from the experimental group, including Earth's structure, physical properties, material composition, dynamic processes, and visualization. The experimental group engaged in the lesson’s activities that were designed based on the students’ background understanding during the “exploring and categorizing” phase, through which they demonstrated significant improvements in science achievement compared to the control group’s studying through traditional textbook lesson’s activities. This study highlights the importance of connecting abstract scientific concepts to students’ natures in the learning experiences of the concept’s insights, offering valuable implications for educators and curriculum developers emphasizing student-centered learning. Students’ natures in learning are empowered by learning the nature of science as their relational conceptual change into exploratory teaching approaches fostered s engagement and conceptual growth, particularly among underachieved populations.
Keywords: Mixed Methods, Students' conceptions exploration, fifth-grade, science learning, Phenomenography, descriptive category, CEE Argumentation Embedded Relational Conceptual Change, Science Achievement, Earth's Layers
Recommended Citation
Aldujaili, Sahar Zuhair, "Empowering Fifth-Grade Urban Students In Science Learning: Exploring Earth’s Layers Through Argumentation Of Claim-Evidence-Explanation Embedded In Relational Conceptual Change" (2025). Wayne State University Dissertations. 4173.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_dissertations/4173