CAI Program Development on Flowing Rivers and How Primary StudentsC Concepts Change through This Program

′흐르는 강′에 대한 CAI 프로그램 개발 및 그 프로그램이 초등학생들의 개념변화에 미치는 효과

This study is intended to develop a CAI program on the topic of flowing rivers and to investigate how 4th grade students' concepts of it change through this program. The CAI program is made using the GREAT II copyright tool based on a typical 4th grade science Korean textbook. This program consists of 5 sections, which are introduction, rain waters, running waters, river waters, and activity. All contents are animated. Students are 30 4th grade students. One instrument is used how to investigate the concept change of the flowing rivers. The instrument is called the Identification of Flowing River Concept Test(IFRCT, Appendix), which is of a two-tier type and has 8 items. Data are collected before and after the instruction using this program. Data are classified as a scientific model, a naive model, or a "no" model, based on criteria used by Vosniadou(1989). Data are compared. The results show that 4th grade students after the instruction using this program hold a more scientific model on the flowing rivers, than before the instruction using this program. Therefore, the author urges science teachers to use the CAI program to teach students about the flowing rivers.